In her first book, “The Conscious Bride: Women Unveil Their True Feelings About Getting Hitched,” Sheryl Paul offers a first-of-its-kind and unflinching look at the taboo emotions of fear, depression and anxiety that often descend upon a woman in the “blissful” weeks and months preceding her wedding.


Now in “The Conscious Bride’s Wedding Planner,” this expert bridal counselor who has appeared on Oprah and the Oxygen! network, reveals the secrets of becoming a conscious bride, which up until now she’s shared only with her clients.


A conscious bride ...


- Sets a clear intention, along with her fiance, for their wedding and marriage


-  Lets go of her singlehood, not her independence


-  Gracefully deals with the shifts in relationships to family and friends that a marriage brings


-  Plans a wedding that is within her and her fiance’s means


-  Plans a wedding that is a reflection of the couple’s values, an expression of their love, and the first step in a lasting, meaningful union


-  Explores her conscious and unconscious beliefs about what it means to be a “wife” in the 21st century


-  Knows that although our cultural mythology tells us that the months and weeks leading up to the wedding should be blissful, it’s normal to have difficult emotions like fear and sadness during this time


-  Doesn’t fall into the “perfection” trap


-  Doesn’t turn into “bridezilla”


-  Allows the grief over old losses to spring up as her wedding approaches and discovers ways to work through it


-  Is ready for a marriage, not just a wedding


“The Conscious Bride’s Wedding Planner” offers a step-by-step guide for working through the seismic shifts in identity and lifestyle that a wedding engenders. The goal is to guide  readers toward creating an authentic and meaningful day.


Paul has a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a professional bridal counselor and author. Through her counseling work, books and Web site, www.consciousweddings.com , she has shared her unique expertise with brides, mothers and grooms worldwide. She lives in Denver, Colo., with her husband and son.