Your Wedding Journey: the Six Vows of Inner Authority
Although the wedding day is widely thought to be the day when all our dreams come true, the journey from engagement to the first months of marriage are often far from perfect. In reality, women experience a multitude of emotions, including joy, excitement, wonder, love, and connection, but also fear, anxiety, overwhelm, trepidation, loss of identity, and sadness. Confused by these seemingly contradictory feelings in what is meant to be the happiest time of our lives, we may not feel safe to talk about them, let alone explore them in any depth.
Your Wedding Journey is a structured individual coaching program that offers a supportive space to move through the unpredictable path from the engagement ~ to the wedding ~ to the first months of marriage. Delivered through six one-hour coaching sessions (four before the wedding and two after the wedding), it is a space for you to explore your feelings, gain your footing, and gather the tools you need as you enter one of the most significant changes of your life.
Your Wedding Journey is a structured individual coaching program that offers a supportive space to move through the unpredictable path from the engagement ~ to the wedding ~ to the first months of marriage. Delivered through six one-hour coaching sessions (four before the wedding and two after the wedding), it is a space for you to explore your feelings, gain your footing, and gather the tools you need as you enter one of the most significant changes of your life.
The Six Vows
Each session is a personal vow that moves you into conscious alignment with your inner authority, walking you through the gates of the wedding transition with strength and wisdom. Four sessions are conducted before the wedding, one right after the wedding, and the final session is conducted six months after the wedding to help you with the integration process of wife/partner and marriage.
The First Vow:
Owning Your Wedding Mythology The Second Vow: Letting Go of the Old Identity The Third Vow: Avoiding Snares & Enticements The Fourth Vow: Practicing Embodiment The Fifth Vow: Unveiling & Initiation The Sixth Vow: Allowing Spaces in Your Togetherness |
"Your Wedding Journey": $495 USD for 6 Structured Sessions
My Wedding Story
When my partner and I first started dating it was a whirlwind experience of falling deeply in love and realizing, very quickly, that we would spend the rest of our lives together. We wanted a one-of-a-kind wedding that was small and intimate, and that expressed our love of food, music, and nature. It was an opportunity to create an event that truly reflected our relationship and that was meaningful, fun and creative, rather than stress-filled and strained. I saw the wedding as a celebration more than anything I needed for my relationship, so the process of transition was not something I really even thought about.
Despite our best intentions, and not unlike like most weddings, unexpected pressures and conflicts began to arise. Everyone shared their opinions: “your wedding is too small!”, “why aren’t you having it in a church?”, “it’s too far away!” We dealt with these issues as they came and did our best to maintain the spirit of what we had envisioned, and for the most part, that worked.
But a few weeks before the Big Day, another, hidden aspect of the wedding slowly began to reveal itself. It started with a small patch of itchy red skin, barely visible, on the little toe on my right foot. At first, I thought nothing of it.
But as the days and weeks progressed, so did my rash. Very quickly, it spread to all the toes on my right foot, then to all the toes on my left foot, then all over both feet, then up my legs. Soon after that, it spread to my hands and arms and I was afflicted with a burning, itching sensation affecting my ability to sleep through the night. I went to my doctor and naturopath several times but nothing seemed to help. Two weeks before the wedding, I began to panic. How can I have a barefoot wedding on the beach when my feet, legs, hands and arms are a fiery, red mess?!?!
“Are you stressed about the wedding?” A work colleague asked gently. “No!” I responded adamantly. “It’s just this damn rash I’m worried about!”
Eight days before the wedding, I managed to get an appointment with the dermatologist. He took one look at my rash and told me I had eczema, induced by the stress of the wedding. There I was, Someone Who Was Not Supposed to Get Stressed, desperate for whatever the doctor would give me to resolve it.
The eczema dissolved in a day or two, but to my surprise, my stress levels didn’t. My days were anxiety-filled and frantic as I attempted to finish everything on what seemed like a never-ending to-do list.
As I lay down in bed the night before our Big Day, I couldn’t sleep. My heart was racing so fast, I thought it might explode in my chest. My husband (to be) gently asked me – “What’s wrong honey? Are you having second thoughts?”
My love for him wasn’t even a question in my mind, but I had trouble describing what was happening to me. It was a combination of fear of the unknown, feelings of loss, and the sense that something that I was powerless to control was unfolding around me. Talking about it helped, and eventually, my mind and heart calmed and I was able to get some sleep.
Our wedding was beautiful. The weather was incredible, and we were both overwhelmed by the love we felt from our community and for each other. The whole day felt like a sacred unfolding shared in the presence of our dearest friends and family.
The next morning I woke up early, the sun coming through the windows of the small cottage we stayed in, dubbed the "love nest." I looked at my husband asleep next to me and out through the mosquito net veiled around us, and an incredible feeling washed over me. Something was different. I was different. Overnight, I had transformed into a different woman. I had gone through an initiation, and would never be the same again.
Despite our best intentions, and not unlike like most weddings, unexpected pressures and conflicts began to arise. Everyone shared their opinions: “your wedding is too small!”, “why aren’t you having it in a church?”, “it’s too far away!” We dealt with these issues as they came and did our best to maintain the spirit of what we had envisioned, and for the most part, that worked.
But a few weeks before the Big Day, another, hidden aspect of the wedding slowly began to reveal itself. It started with a small patch of itchy red skin, barely visible, on the little toe on my right foot. At first, I thought nothing of it.
But as the days and weeks progressed, so did my rash. Very quickly, it spread to all the toes on my right foot, then to all the toes on my left foot, then all over both feet, then up my legs. Soon after that, it spread to my hands and arms and I was afflicted with a burning, itching sensation affecting my ability to sleep through the night. I went to my doctor and naturopath several times but nothing seemed to help. Two weeks before the wedding, I began to panic. How can I have a barefoot wedding on the beach when my feet, legs, hands and arms are a fiery, red mess?!?!
“Are you stressed about the wedding?” A work colleague asked gently. “No!” I responded adamantly. “It’s just this damn rash I’m worried about!”
Eight days before the wedding, I managed to get an appointment with the dermatologist. He took one look at my rash and told me I had eczema, induced by the stress of the wedding. There I was, Someone Who Was Not Supposed to Get Stressed, desperate for whatever the doctor would give me to resolve it.
The eczema dissolved in a day or two, but to my surprise, my stress levels didn’t. My days were anxiety-filled and frantic as I attempted to finish everything on what seemed like a never-ending to-do list.
As I lay down in bed the night before our Big Day, I couldn’t sleep. My heart was racing so fast, I thought it might explode in my chest. My husband (to be) gently asked me – “What’s wrong honey? Are you having second thoughts?”
My love for him wasn’t even a question in my mind, but I had trouble describing what was happening to me. It was a combination of fear of the unknown, feelings of loss, and the sense that something that I was powerless to control was unfolding around me. Talking about it helped, and eventually, my mind and heart calmed and I was able to get some sleep.
Our wedding was beautiful. The weather was incredible, and we were both overwhelmed by the love we felt from our community and for each other. The whole day felt like a sacred unfolding shared in the presence of our dearest friends and family.
The next morning I woke up early, the sun coming through the windows of the small cottage we stayed in, dubbed the "love nest." I looked at my husband asleep next to me and out through the mosquito net veiled around us, and an incredible feeling washed over me. Something was different. I was different. Overnight, I had transformed into a different woman. I had gone through an initiation, and would never be the same again.
Even months later, I continued working through what came up for me around the wedding. It was a process of integration that took time, patience, and support from trusted friends and professionals to understand what it means to move from a single to married woman. Only much later did I find out that I was not the only woman who experienced such things, that in fact, most women go through a deep experience that leaves them forever changed.
When a woman gets engaged and eventually marries, she enters one of the major transitions of her life. It is a transformation from one way of life to another. There is a period of loss, of letting go, of adjusting to the changes in relationships, and taking on new roles. Without understanding how this transition affects us, many of us internalize our experience, which can later come out through stress and anxiety, health issues, or by projecting it onto our partners, our families or the wedding planning itself. We think something is wrong with us (or with our partners, or the venue, or the music, or our parents, etc.), when in fact, what’s happening is a natural unfolding into a new way of life.
Your Wedding Journey is a carefully crafted program, guiding you through the process of transition so that you feel grounded, supported and connected to your deepest self as you make that important commitment to another.
When a woman gets engaged and eventually marries, she enters one of the major transitions of her life. It is a transformation from one way of life to another. There is a period of loss, of letting go, of adjusting to the changes in relationships, and taking on new roles. Without understanding how this transition affects us, many of us internalize our experience, which can later come out through stress and anxiety, health issues, or by projecting it onto our partners, our families or the wedding planning itself. We think something is wrong with us (or with our partners, or the venue, or the music, or our parents, etc.), when in fact, what’s happening is a natural unfolding into a new way of life.
Your Wedding Journey is a carefully crafted program, guiding you through the process of transition so that you feel grounded, supported and connected to your deepest self as you make that important commitment to another.
This program is for women who want to...
- Feel honored, witnessed and heard
- Feel more grounded and confident throughout the wedding planning and in the initial months of marriage
- Follow their own truth, rather than the competing advice of others telling them what to do
- Be able to understand and express their needs, desires, fears and concerns as the wedding day approaches
- Stay present and mindful, and follow the wisdom of their bodies
- Work through the difficult terrain of evolving relationships with greater presence and grace
How the Program is Delivered
The program is delivered over six structured one-hour individual coaching sessions, framed as six vows – four of which are taken before the wedding, one right after the wedding, and one six months after the wedding.
Before the Wedding:
Just After the Wedding:
Six Months After the Wedding:
The sessions are conducted over phone or Skype (or in person for those living in the Toronto area), and there are two payment options: One payment of $495 or Two payments of $275 each (please contact me directly to arrange the two-payment option). Once you register for the program, you will receive a welcome package from me, and we will begin by scheduling all six sessions.
Before the Wedding:
- The First Vow
- The Second Vow
- The Third Vow
- The Fourth Vow
Just After the Wedding:
- The Fifth Vow
Six Months After the Wedding:
- The Sixth Vow
The sessions are conducted over phone or Skype (or in person for those living in the Toronto area), and there are two payment options: One payment of $495 or Two payments of $275 each (please contact me directly to arrange the two-payment option). Once you register for the program, you will receive a welcome package from me, and we will begin by scheduling all six sessions.