The first time I got a professional facial, it was a birthday present from my mom. Not that she was telling me I needed one. Rather, she finally gave in to my constant pleading that my teenage skin (which was luckily relatively blemish-free for a teen that only used Neutrogena face wash) absolutely needed it. I felt like such an adult that day when I went into the spa, slipped on a cozy robe, and zoned out to ambient music as a professional got to work. For years, that first experience continued to frame my view of facials: they were an expensive luxury meant only for special occasions. While I definitely stepped up my skincare game as I moved through my 20s and early 30s with a multi-step routine and prescription-strength retinol, I never really bought into getting consistent facials.

Then, I got engaged and had my Brooklyn wedding on the horizon. As someone who has written many articles over the years about pre-wedding beauty prep, I decided I should practice what I had been preaching and create a treatment plan months out from the celebration. A friend introduced me to Elizabeth Grace Hand, the founder and lead esthetician of Stalle Studios, and I knew who I was going to be in a relationship with for the next year. Her philosophy for me was simple: “Bridal skin responds best to consistency, not intensity.” My sensitive skin was prone to redness, an occasional hormonal breakout, dehydration in the winter months, and forming fine lines from my early years of sun exposure growing up in California. While I wasn’t in dire need of a skincare overhaul, I also wasn’t at a level where I could comfortably go to a social event without any makeup on. That meant I would take a trip to Elizabeth’s immaculately designed, Scandinavian-inspired Soho studio every four weeks for the next 12 months to slowly take my skin to the glowy aisle-ready level of my dreams.

Each visit was far from that first spa experience from my youth. From the moment I stepped out of the elevator to the pristine space, I would give Elizabeth or one of her wonderful aestheticians Casey and Emma a hug, and immediately start diving into conversation. Immediately, the chaos of hustling over from Brooklyn would melt away as the sounds of Lana Del Rey would wash over me. (Her Spotify radio playlist was always on repeat—Elizabeth says she has been trying to manifest her as a client.) After a quick peek out the window to see if their hot (often shirtless) neighbor across the street was hanging out around his apartment, I would slip beneath the silky bedding of the treatment table and wait for a knock.

The next hour, I would talk as much as I would in a therapy session while my face was slathered with serums, creams, and masks. The girls at the studio knew every detail of my wedding planning process, and I knew about all their partners, hometowns, and skin care routines. Elizabeth even got pregnant and gave birth during that year, so we always had plenty to talk about. When the session ended, I would get another hug from everyone there and leave with their signature “angel baby face” glow.

While I was busy chatting away, the talented team was working their way through their 12-month plan to get me wedding-ready. My skin experienced a rotation of gentle enzymes, lactic, and mandelic acid peels, micro-infusion treatments for hydration, LED therapy for calming inflammation and supporting collagen, lymphatic drainage and sculpting massages, sono and iontophoresis to enhance product penetration, deep hydration and barrier repair support with CO2 Lift Pro and Alginate Masks, and microcurrent therapy for lifting. It may have seemed like a lot to get my complexion looking its best, but it truly made a noticeable impact. I gave them my full trust and always said, “Just do your thing.” Halfway through the year, the team even did a trial facial for me, which would test out how quickly my skin would respond exfoliation, sculpting, and circulation work for maximum glow and recovery.