James McManus

Cornelia Powell has been the voice of conscious, intuitive weddings for over two decades. Her former namesake store in Atlanta—a bridal art-to-wear boutique—provided an elegant alternative in the 1980s and 90s to traditional bridal shops at a time when the cultural landscape for women was changing immensely. Nationally recognized as "magically unique, something out of a woman’s dream," Cornelia's innovative store developed into a haven for “grown-up” brides and couples as well as fashionable romantics everywhere.

Cornelia’s shop, circa 1990

Working with thousands of brides over the years, Cornelia became known as “the bride’s sage” and “a wedding folklorist.” Leading the way in restoring a sense of intimacy and grace to the world of overly commercialized weddings, she continues to focus on the bride's rite-of-passage as the heart of the wedding ceremony.

Cornelia brings the same intimacy, introspection, and story-telling delight to a world audience in her online magazine, Weddings of Grace. This wise and original voice supports “the bride you want to be and the woman you become.” By offering the bride a guide for combining the wisdom and magic of ancient rituals with the freedom available in modern culture, Cornelia sets a framework for the bride to create a beautiful ceremony, as well as a life she loves.

Photograph by William P. Steele. Courtesy of Victoria magazine. New York City, USA Cornelia in Victoria magazine, February 1993.

Combining her background in fashion editorial (associate editor at Vogue magazine), costume history (Board of Directors of Costume Society of America), and years in retail with her interest in women's mythology and spiritual growth, Cornelia creates stories that entertain and expand awareness. In her books, magazine articles, and lecture presentations, Cornelia uses the language of ritual and relationship, costume and folklore, stillness and self-discovery to speak to the hearts of all women.

Cornelia during a pres-entation at the Ft. Wayne Historical Society, Indiana USA

In her new upcoming book, The Bride's Ritual Guide: Look Inside to Find Yourself, Cornelia takes the old bridal rhyme, "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence for her shoe," and turns it into a magical reverie for the modern bride. She shares ways to bring more ease, pleasure and reassurance into a woman's life not only as a bride, but through all her rites-of-passage.