I’ve heard about many women who’ve had every detail of their wedding day planned by the time they were 16. I am not one of those women. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with advanced planning, I felt that planning my wedding without being in a serious relationship would be unfair when I DID meet Mr. Right. Besides, it’s his day too.

All that being said, I didn’t really start looking at wedding blogs and bridal magazines until earlier this year (after Philip had taken me ring browsing) – which is when I discovered AshleysBrideGuide. Ashley gives me the daily fix on what’s happening in the Nashville wedding world. Sometime this past April she posted information about the Franklin Bridal Show that was scheduled for a Sunday in May.

Nashville and Franklin have several different bridal shows all throughout the year. I’d been mentioning a few of these to Philip and, being the wonderful & amazing man he is, he had mentioned that he would go with me to one.

After church that early May Sunday, I remembered the Franklin Bridal show was scheduled for that afternoon. I politely mentioned it to Philip and asked if he would consider driving us over to Lille Belle’s to check out the show. He agreed and we entered into a lovely tent with delicious cake, beautiful photos, decadent hors d’ oeuvres and stunning floral arrangements. Very shortly after entering, a photographer with VIP Williamson County asked to take our photo. After all, at this point, Philip was the only groom (to-be) present. (We appeared in the table of contents for the June issue and I started getting a little stream of messages from curious Franklin friends and acquaintances who’d seen the photo – pictured below.)

Not only did we have a great time at the bridal show, we met some amazing local wedding experts – including Mrs. Liza Hippler of Maiden to Married.

Liza is a bridal coach. Not a planner. Or a decorator. But a bridal coach. I know. I was confused at first too.

As Philip and I looked at her questioningly, she proceeded to tell us that she helps brides prepare to be fully present and aware on their wedding day. This still didn’t clear up much for me, but I happily put my name in her drawing for 4 free bridal coaching sessions and walked away with her business card and some of her informational material.

A day or two later, (after we were walking back to the car from the Death Cab For Cutie show at The Ryman) I’d received a voicemail from Liza. I’d won the free sessions! I rarely win anything, so I was pretty excited about this.

When I returned her call, she explained that she had not yet worked with a soon-to-be engaged bride, but that she thought it would be beneficial for both of us.

Well, I’m halfway through my 4 free visits with Liza and, I must say, I LOVE bridal coaching. We’ve had two sessions pre-engagement and we will be resuming our sessions shortly. (Now that we’re engaged and I’m not in and out of town every weekend.)

In a nutshell, Liza walks with brides through their personal wedding journeys to help create a relaxed and present bride – both through the transition from being single to being a wife and on the wedding day itself. Which means…

• A wedding truly in alignment with what’s important to the bride
• Less stress
• Clarity when making logistical decisions
• Deepening of personal relationships
• Feeling ready for marriage
• Ability to easily handle frustrations
• An enhanced sense of enjoyment and beauty
• A solid foundation within yourself

Amen! Liza’s concept for Maiden to Married comes from a book called The Conscious Bride, which I now own and can’t wait to start reading.

I’m so grateful to live in a city that attracts people like Liza and will keep you posted as she shows me the ways of the conscious bride.