Let yourself be silently drawn by the Dear Readers: In this Spring issue of Weddings of Grace, we explore how the language of today’s weddings echoes an ancient past while creating a new era of spiritual partnerships. The theme of this edition—“A Modern Mythology For Today's Bride"—expands into the stories of brides who are “grown-up” women settled into their already full and active lives. Then they took the courageous step and opened themselves even more to embrace the possibility of a deep and loving partnership. In the Trappings of the Wedding and The Ritual of Self sections, we delve into the "words" of the wedding. I am honored to have three guest writers—The Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway, The Reverend Jennifer Denning and The Reverend Rebecca Parker—contributed articles supporting brides and grooms choose ceremonial words and rituals from their hearts. We share how couples can:
(These are wonderful pages to pass on to engaged couples in your world!) I am delighted to share the making of a legendary wedding gown. The old-world elegance and skills of the talented artisans in the workroom of New York designer Lara Meiland of Lara Hélène Bridal created a shimmering treasure. Lara shared the story with me of her creative process and inspiration and now I share it with you in The Lineage of a Gown section. And once again, we share ideas with you for “green weddings” and tips for thoughtful gift giving and receiving plans in the Cornelia Recommends and Ask Cornelia sections. What better way to start a new life together than to have a consciousness-raising event! In addition to Lara, I wanted to thank Jamie Butler da Silva, Adele Azar Rucquoi, Aleta Ellin Aaron and Mechelle Richardson Lund for sharing their “when I was a bride” stories with me—weddings from a few months ago to more than a decade past. I loved how each one planned a loving and thoughtful wedding ceremony that paid tribute to a rich heritage of family connections. Spiritual partnerships. Grown-up brides. Ceremonies honoring ancient heritage. Choosing conscious words & rituals. A legendary wedding gown. Green Weddings. Read on... With love, Cornelia ps: Weddings of Grace has a new publication! Notes from Cornelia is a biweekly e-newsletter with messages & musings to support a calm, beautiful inner and outer life experience (whether you’re planning a wedding or not!). Sign up by clicking the Subscribe button and you will be in the Cornelia loop! |
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James McManus |
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Cornelia Powell has been the voice of conscious, intuitive weddings for over two decades. She offers brides a guide for combining the wisdom of ancient rituals and the freedom available in modern culture to create ceremonies from their hearts. Exploring how the origin of ancient ceremonial traditions reveals the true inner spirit of women, Cornelia leads the way in restoring a sense of intimacy and grace to the world of overly commercialized weddings.
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Cornelia’s shop, circa 1990 |
Cornelia developed an imaginative eye for costume early on, playing “dress-up” in her mother’s wedding gown and trousseau lingerie as a child in Alabama. She honed her artistic eye in her early twenties as an associate editor at Vogue magazine. These experiences, combined with her interest in antique textiles and how the past influences the present, contributed to the creation of her namesake shop opened in 1986 in Atlanta. An “art-to-wear” store honoring life’s rites-of-passage and the feminine spirit, it was filled with beautifully restored romantic vintage clothing, designer gowns of antique laces and new silks, and one-of-a-kind accessories.
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Cornelia in Victoria magazine, February 1993. Photograph by William P. Steele. Courtesy of Victoria magazine. New York City, USA |
The innovative store provided women an elegant alternative for bridal and special occasion wear. Becoming nationally known over the years, it was touted by magazines as “magically unique, something out of a woman’s dream.” Cornelia shared folkloric stories that addressed the deeper questions of a bride’s transformational journey with the thousands of women who came into her shop—and today with audiences around the country—establishing her expertise in wedding mythology and as a spokesperson for “wise, heart-full weddings.”
To the dismay of romantics everywhere, Cornelia closed her shop after 14 years. Afterwards was a time of travel and expansive exploration, finding the inspiration for the language for her book envisioned years before. Interweaving tales of costume history, wedding mythology, women’s studies, goddess legends, and her own intuitive musings, Cornelia writes and lectures on subjects close to the heart of all women. Her book in progress, Weddings of Grace: The Bride You Want to Be, The Woman You Become, focuses on women’s inner growth as the heart of wedding traditions, creating more meditative, intimate weddings and relationships.
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Cornelia during a presentation at the Ft. Wayne Historical Society, Indiana USA |
Cornelia continues her entrepreneurial ventures, intending her new online magazine, Weddings of Grace, unique products (including the upcoming Bride’s Ritual Kit), and future books bring ease, pleasure and reassurance into a bride's life, shaping a more conscious world. Cornelia speaks of every woman’s life as a series of rites-of-passage, illustrating the magic possible when each passage becomes spaced with the reverie of inner stillness. 
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Responses from Weddings of Grace readers: |
“It’s fantastic. My partner and I never had a wedding, and when we can have it the way I want it....You and your site will be my guide. Wow!” “Simply beautiful. I am so drawn in to explore your site. A pleasure to feel how you have brought ‘ease’ into your work. Thank you for expanding my world.” “I love this page (‘Take a Breather!’). A great exercise with very clear instructions, all set in the context of pleasure and grace.” “Oh what joy! I immediately forwarded the link to all my women friends, near and far.” “You are the Marriage Guru! While the world is seemingly going to pot, you are lifting it up to see the sacredness of beauty in an institution called marriage.” “I love your grace, beauty and creativity. Thank you.” “What a beautiful site! There is a lot of useful information there. Thanks so much for including the ‘I DO’ exhibition info and images.” “Congratulations and Best Wishes to America’s Elegant Bridal Entrepreneur/Priestess par excellence!” “It's so great to see that you're sharing your wisdom and grace in such a special way. We will soon be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary and we still remember some of the ‘sage’ counsel you gave us during our preparations.” |
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