Natalie & Richard - 02.06.2022

Tell us about you...

Name: Natalie Hicks (married surname Burton)

Wedding Date: 2nd June 2022

Location of Wedding: St Andrew's Church, Great Finborough, Suffolk, reception at The Tudor Barn Belstead

Tell us your proposal story…

Richard proposed when we were away in September 2020, just after the first Covid lockdown. His thinking was since we'd survived a lockdown together, both working from home in a small apartment, that we were pretty set for the long haul. We went away in September to our favourite hotel in North Norfolk, set on the coast amongst the salt marshes, and he proposed as we were about to go out for dinner. It's become a source of humour as a lot of my research is on salt marshes, and now it seems my personal life is also around them. I had wondered in the weeks running up to the proposal, why he had to keep going into town and didn't want me to come!

What advice would you give to any future bride currently planning their wedding?

Stay true to your vision as a couple - make decisions based on what you want or like, not on what others think (but always great to have a trusted friend at hand if required). Pick your bridesmaids carefully - someone said to me to think about who you want around you on the wedding day, and that made the decision much easier.

What is the one thing in your opinion every bride needs on her wedding day?

Family and amazing bridesmaids! It also helped that we'd already met our photographer (who is incredible) and we had hair and make-up stylists who were not only brilliant at their jobs, but also helped structure the morning and keep us all calm.

What was the biggest pain point when planning your wedding and how did you overcome this?

Actually, there weren't any big pain points for our wedding - the hardest bit is when you pay all the suppliers a couple of weeks before the big day! Luckily we'd planned and budgeted so it wasn't a major shock to the bank account.

How did you choose your suppliers?

Lots of research! I found Instagram really useful and followed our suppliers for a while before selecting them. We zoomed with a couple first too, and that cemented the relationship, and we also asked some of our suppliers for their recommendations. I also followed a lot of bridal accounts and suppliers to get a feel for what I liked and what I didn't.

Tell us about your experience with Sarah Vuong...

My jewellery was the last thing I bought - I really struggled to find what I wanted, and I knew I wanted something to wear again after the wedding. Sarah was brilliant, I was stuck between two earrings, and she helped me decide, by asking about details of my dress, hair, and theme, and also sent me additional photos and videos with close-ups of both pairs. I bought her recommendation and have absolutely no regrets - thank you so much, I have already re-worn my bridal earrings a couple of times since the wedding!

Suppliers... 

Venue: The Tudor Barn Belstead @thetudorbarn

Photographer: Sharon Cudworth @sharon.cudworth

MUA: Emily Chantal @emilychantal_mua

Hair Stylist: Stacie Goodwin @staciegoodwinbridal

Florist: The Flower Shop, Kersey Mill @theflowershopkm

Dress: The Bridal Lounge, Stella York @missstellayork @thebridallounge

Shoes: Rainbow Club @rainbowclubuk

Suits: The Grooms Room, Essex @thegroomsroomessex

Hair Accessories: CassieM Bridal @cassiembridalaccessories

Jewellery: Sarah Vuong Kathryn Earrings

Stationary: Tavern Creative @taverncreative

Coordinator: Louisa May @louisamayweddings

Catering: Arabella Reeve @arabellareevecatering

Bridesmaid Dresses: Willow and Pearl @willowandpearlbridesmaids

Cake: Dust with Cocoa @dustwithcocoa

Entertainment: @stumpyoak @mybigfatweddingdisco