December 28, 2009

{Take a Deep Breath & Choose with Love}


Dear Bride-to-Be:
Be patient with yourself during this busy wedding planning time. Sooooo many decisions to make--don't let frustration take over. Trust your intuition and keep your vision on the bigger picture--your well-being and your relationship--and allow the love and support you find there be a buoy for you. What you need will show up at the perfect time.

Here's a tip: Use the power of your breath and take a thoughtful pause before making a decision. Breathe deeply and slowly (inhaling and exhaling through your nose when you can). Let your breath settle you, and in that quiet space, pause. Inside that pause is the here and now...the present moment...a gift...all you need to know...the perfect you. Now, choose with love. (And see what a pleasure your choices become!)

Love. Listen. Let go.
....with love from Cornelia

[Photograph by: Brandon Bannon]

December 22, 2009

{Love Forever}


Dear Bride-to-Be:
Weddings are full of folklore and legends. Perhaps that's part of the mystery that draws us to them...as well as the appealing possibility of love forever. And flowers seem to hold the essence of that magic.

I've had brides tell me that when they've gotten nervous getting ready to walk down that long aisle -- whether a cathedral, a garden path, or an elegant ballroom corridor -- they paused and focused on their bouquet for a moment. Taking in its beauty, breathing in its scent, they then relaxed and settled back into knowing everything was okay.

Try it now: Take a deep, slow breath...breathing in the soothing fragrance of love. And again: deep, soft inhales and long, lingering exhales...relax and walk with confidence into love forever.

Love. Listen. Let go.
...with love from Cornelia

[Photograph: Julie Mikos]

December 17, 2009

{Don't Go Down the Aisle Without One!}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
Let’s have a serious girl-to-girl chat! As modern and savvy as you are, you know that sometimes “old-fashioned” is the way to go, yes? So be sure to have a “serviceable” handkerchief with you during your wedding ceremony. It’s perhaps the most sensible and practical thing you can do on your wedding day: for tears, a runny nose, damp palms, or for dabbing his moist brow. Trust me . . . don’t go down the aisle without one!

In the days when I had my designer bridal store (where I always kept a stock of “best-selling” pretty vintage handkerchiefs), I went to hundreds of weddings. And the most frequent “mistake” I saw was a bride at the altar without something to discreetly take care of a runny nose. (And you don’t need an “extra hand” for your hankie. Just tuck it into your palm for easiest access.)

Part of our “feminine smarts” is to be able to take care of the little things gracefully and the big things with some clever planning. These practical—and sometimes old-fashioned—things (like having a hankie in hand) can add ease and comfort to nervous times . . . and make a beautiful bride even more beautiful.

Love. Listen. Let go.
....with love from Cornelia

[Photograph by Julie Mikos]

December 14, 2009

{Orange Blossom Legacy}


Dear Bride-to-Be:
In bridal folklore, the fragrant orange blossom became legendary. Native to China and one of the rare plants that blooms and bears fruit at the same time, the orange tree’s aromatic flowers became symbolic of fruitfulness and fertility. Inspired by the legend as well as its gloriously romantic scent, ancient brides in Mediterranean countries wrapped the creamy white blossoms and delicate greenery into nuptial halos. All wedding rituals are rooted in this hopeful promise of the continuity of life that the orange blossom epitomizes.

Whatever flowers you wear or carry on your wedding day—mixing nature’s fragrances and textures—they are beautiful reminders of that promise of abundance. Life follows life, and love makes it all worthwhile. Here’s a suggestion; give some of your wedding flowers to a little girl to take home with her…continuing the legacy and the love.

Love. Listen. Let go.
....with love from Cornelia

[Photograph of vintage wax orange blossom wreath from Cornelia Powell Antiques Inc. circa 1994]

December 7, 2009

{Love & Gratitude}


Dear Bride-to-Be:
Have you noticed that love and gratitude are intertwined? It becomes very apparent when your wedding day arrives. Many people supported you to get to this place today—your beautifully planned, anticipated wedding day! Perhaps you’ve thanked them all, but saying “I love you” sometimes is more difficult (to say it to some is easy, to others maybe not.) So remember, love without forgiveness is not love. Let it go!

As author Lisa Clapier reminds us: “Gratitude is what returns us to love.” Let your wedding day be a day where saying “I love you” just slips off your tongue. “Thank you. I love you.” “I love you. Thank you.” (See how easy it is?)

Love. Listen. Let go.
....with love from Cornelia

[Photograph: Sarah Merians & Company]

December 3, 2009

New Stories In "Weddings of Grace" Online Magazine!


Don't miss the new articles, notes, messages, and bits of wedding news now online in Weddings of Grace magazine!

From the ancient customs in "A Woman's Wedding Song: Honoring the Loss of Girlhood" to tips for staying centered while in the "Bridal Spotlight" to forgiveness lessons on the "After the Wedding" page to soothing advice from "The Wedding Goddess" to the magic available when "Borrowing From the Past" to bits of "Wedding News" that you just might not know about....

....you will want to make Weddings of Grace a relaxing, enlivening, heart-opening stop on your bridal journey!

Enjoy.

...love from Cornelia

[Photograph: Julie Mikos]