{Token of Abundance}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
The folkloric "something old, something new" bridal rhyme ends with "...and a sixpence for your shoe."  This was a way of calling forth abundant wishes in the couple's married life ahead. If you can’t find an old sixpence coin to use for your wedding, perhaps you can find a penny minted the year you were born or a shiny new one that promises “a gracious plenty.”

Whether you use an old or new coin as a bridal token for your wedding day, remember that it’s only a token. True abundance is a full heart of love...love that you give away unconditionally. And a full heart is one that stays open...ready to receive the love back a hundred times over!

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

[Photograph: Kristin Spencer]

{Something Borrowed from the Heart}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
Women have a long lineage of sharing their precious garments, textiles, and jewelry—as well as things of the heart—with other women to mark a special occasion, especially for weddings. And many times the treasure shared becomes the bride's “something borrowed.”

Sometimes what is offered is more of a symbol, more ephemeral, yet deeply personal and heartfelt. Carol McD. Wallace recounts in her book All Dressed in White: “Each of the women who worked on Princess Elizabeth of England’s wedding gown embroidered a strand of her own hair into the gown, as a way of embodying her good wishes for the princess bride.” There is no limit to how we can share our love.

As you reach out to a future bride to keep the loving connection of beauty and generosity going, your friendship and a hug may be the best “something borrowed” of all!

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

[Photograph: Courtesy of Getty Images]

{Smile Away the Blues}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
Here's a little more about “having the blues” and the rewards of smiling! There are so many choices to make when planning a wedding—finding the right date, place, dress, invitations, flowers, service, officiant, attendants, favors, etcetera—and sometimes it all flows and sometimes it seems like it's all too overwhelming. Although your upcoming wedding is a happy occasion, you can get the blues from the weight of it all, yes?

The “blues” are heavy, but smiling lightens the heart and lights up the world around you. Take a deep, long inhale and a slow, full exhale and allow a smile to ease across your face. (Here's a secret: If you allow yourself to smile as you breathe in and out slowly, deeply and with grateful pleasure—no matter your circumstances—you will change your world on the spot!)

Smiling away your blues just may get a little grin from others as well. So be generous and give the world a gift—smile! Then keep on smiling...there's so much to be grateful for...yes?

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

[Photograph: Jason Hudson]

{Just Smile}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
Okay, so being a bride is not always full of fun and delight. Planning a wedding can become overwhelming, and you just might “get the blues” sometimes. Here’s a little secret about feeling better in the moment from a wise woman affectionately known to many as Dr. DooLady: “What you do is simply turn up the corners of your mouth as if you were smiling. The mind translates that as being happy—as in, ‘Oh, we’re smiling, I think that means we must be happy!’”

See how fast this little smiling mind trick can lift your spirits until you’re remembering how much you have to appreciate, how much you are loved, how much you really have to smile about!

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

[Photograph: Marla Aufmuth]

{Take A Breather}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
Here's a little heavenly blessing to breathe in right this moment:
“I deeply inhale and bring light into my body; I slowly exhale and feel my body relax, bringing me closer to my inner spirit. I deeply inhale and exhale and offer blessings both ways.”

Keep this breathing prayer with you so you can use it anytime you need to “take a breather” and find a bit of ease in the swirl of your busy day. Write it down in your diary or journal -- or in the Wisdom Journal section of your copy of The Bride's Ritual Guide so it will be just a breath away! Write it down as though you are handcrafting a promise to yourself.

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

[Photograph: Drew Newman]

{Be Breathtaking}

Dear Bride-to-Be:
After the months of planning, after the final words of the ceremony, after the last toast of the reception, after stepping out of your wedding gown, after your wedding day is complete—what image do you want to remain in the imagination of your wedding guests? How do you want to be remembered—happy, serene, gorgeous, sexy, “at one with the universe”?

What really remains unforgettable and inspiring is not just the vision of a lovely woman in a beautiful dress, but the image of a woman with her heart open, grounded in her love and expressing it freely. Now, that’s not only breathtaking but also inspires others to open their own heart a wee bit more as well.

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

[Photograph: Marla Aufmuth]