Kara Ladd-Blum said she was “pushed into the wellness world” after being diagnosed in 2016 with synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer that affects the soft tissues of the body.
“I realized what I had and what was in my body, and that evolved into this mental awakening,” said Rudd Blum, 32, of Brooklyn, who has been cancerless for eight years. Currently, she works with wellness brands as a conscious marketing consultant, hosting a podcast focused on mindful living.
While planning their September 15th, 2024 wedding, she and her husband, Brandon Blum, 32, ran a content marketing agency and apparel brand, wanted to incorporate some of their favorite wellness practices. On the mornings of their wedding, they meditated and kept a diary as they often do at home, and incorporated healing crystals and tarot cards into their celebrations.
“We feel that weddings are just an extension of people's energy,” Rudd Blum said. “We both love, live and breathe that world.”
For many couples, health and mindfulness are an integral part of everyday life and they want their wedding to reflect these values. And it's easier to achieve that with more event planners and venues meeting the needs of people who prioritize wellness.
“It's definitely woven into weddings and events,” said Ali Phillips, owner of Ali's engagement event in Chicago. She said about three-quarters of her weddings she planned each year contain wellness elements.
At Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club in Brewster, Massachusetts, wedding groups can enjoy candlelight floating sound baths, acupuncture happy hour and beach yoga sessions. At Canyon Ranch Woodside, California, couples and their guests can sign up for spiritual growth sessions, plant tea production and strength training workshops.
Miraval Berkshire Resort and Spa in Lennox, Massachusetts offers a specific mindful wedding program that includes spa treatments and guided morning meditation. Couples will also have an anniversary “reflection visit.” Couples can take part in sacred stone ceremonies, hikes, or exercise on natural rope courses.
“We live in this fast-paced, extremely distracting world where self-care and relationship care can take the back seat,” said Daniel Vega, senior group sales manager at Miraval Berkshire.
On the morning of Lad Blum's wedding at Corida, a Spanish restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, she met with Maureen Dodd, a spiritual leader who worked through cancer treatment, and worked in a solo healing session, which she described as a “ritual of narcissism.”
“As someone who is very sensitive to other people's energy, I wanted to lock myself into my energy and love before welcoming others into the space,” said Rudd Blum.
As she prepared for the wedding, she listened to some of her favorite so-called love frequency, or the frequency of sonic waves that are thought to have healing properties. Rud Blum also performed other rituals, such as lymphatic drainage massage. She then met some of her close friends and mothers, asking for bridal blessings. This was also led by Dodd, who is based in Phoenix and Sedona, Arizona.
To ensure positive energy for the future, Rudd Blum put his engagement ring and wedding band in a selenite crystal bowl. It is said to have protective properties. However, her favorite practice of the day included guests who received a welcome bag containing a Palo Santo stick that would help remove any negative energy. “They were all injecting good energy into it,” she said.
Samantha Cutler, 33, and her husband, Trevor Mengel, 36, live in Delray Beach, Florida.
“Every part of wellness, nutrition, and health was the central foundation of my lifestyle and my relationship with my husband,” said Cutler, founder of Mindfull, a diet planning and health coaching app. “We had wellness sprinkled over our entire wedding.”
She described the welcome bag curated for her guests alongside Mengel, founder and CEO of creator marketing platform Cloutdesk, as a “wellness bundle.” The bag included vitamin supplements and a copy of The Five Minute Journal, designed to promote reflexes and gratitude.
The day after the 69-person celebration, the couple held a Wellness Day at the Ray Hotel in Del Rey Beach. There, guests were treated to matcha, vitamin B12 shots, and drip IV, which contain electrolytes and vitamins that claim to revive the body after alcohol consumption, stress, and more. After a Pilates session led by one of Cutler's fitness instructor friends, participants were able to participate in a golf session or relax in the pool.
“It was really fun seeing your husband and your best friend work with your parents,” Cutler said. “It felt like a family event in so many ways, it didn't feel too gimmick.”
Even an hour-long meditation session before a wedding can be useful for health-focused couples. 30-year-old Katharina Kutzscher and 28-year-old Zayn Witherspoon, who runs a high-tech startup, held a small wedding celebration in Central Park on August 30, 2024, but started the day together at the Ludlow Hotel.
“I was very nervous on my wedding day,” said Kutcher, who lives in Manhattan. She tapped on her meditation and mindfulness coach friend to lead her and Witherspoon meditation sessions on Zoom.
Kutcher, a content creator who also works in marketing, completed the breathing exercises and set the intentions for the day, was able to look back on what really meant. “The overall goal for the day is to marry the love of your life,” she said. “That's the most important thing.”
