Tom proposed to Natalie at a Caamp gig, their favourite band, in November 2022. Natalie describes the moment, “I didn’t think he was going to propose yet as he had his great grandmother’s ring that he wanted to redesign for me as an engagement ring and I knew that hadn’t happened. The week before the gig, I told him about how my friend had a ‘stunt’ ring (which Tom had never heard of) so I was even more convinced he wasn’t going to propose. But on the night in between songs, Tom kissed me on the check – I didn’t really acknowledge it because I was watching the band, then he held my hand and said, ‘you are my morning light’ (inspiration from Caamp lyrics) and then went down on one knee and presented a ring! I screamed, didn’t say yes, just grabbed the ring out of the box and put it on my finger. We both cried and Tom said, ‘I take that as a yes.’“ SETTING THE SCENE The pair originally had their eyes on a barn wedding. However, that changed as soon as they set eyes on St Osyth Priory. Natalie explains, “Our neighbour recommended we go and look at St Osyth Priory, as it was only 10 minutes down the road. We couldn’t get over how incredible it was when we got there. Such beautiful grounds, stunning buildings and Livi and Lizzie the coordinators were so welcoming and warm, we just couldn’t resist! We cancelled the viewing for the barn venue and even though we’d only seen one setting, we knew this was the perfect one for us.” Décor was minimal – as the venue needed no extra embellishment. Natalie adds, “We had long dark wooden tables and chairs which looked awesome with the dark wood of the room and we added bud vases and pillar candles, the flowers were so beautiful, soft and colourful. We had a flower arch framing the window which we got married under and also sat under on our sweetheart table for dinner. I was very conscious that lots of people said you hardly get to see your partner on the day as it goes by so fast. Hence, why we decided to have the sweetheart table for just the two of us.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS Natalie wore an Eva Lendel ballgown named Orli, from Abigail’s Collection. The gown was altered slightly to remove the straps so that they didn’t sit over her shoulder tattoos. The dress was accessorised with a Victoria Percival tiara and earrings, and Emma Hyacinth lilac shoes. Tom wore a Universal Works suit and a bolo tie, with Paraboot shoes. Natalie tells us, “I like to joke that he proposed to me for an excuse to buy the shoes! He looked really cool and very handsome. I like that his style is quite different! The groomsmen wore whatever they wanted! I’m not a fan of the cloned look, so they chose suits they already had or got outfits that they wanted and would wear again.” Similarly, Natalie gave her bridemaids free reign to incorporate their style into their chosen outfit, They all chose complementary soft, sage green gowns; one chiffon, one sequin and one in satin. Natalie adds, “They also chose their own hair styles and jewellery. They all wore their bridal jewellery and hair accessories from their own wedding days, which I thought was a lovely touch. My niece was my flowergirl but she has an aversion to anything too girlie and didn’t want to wear a dress. So, I took her to Alices Boutique and she picked a colour for her outfit and 32
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