Engaged and confused? Trust us, you aren’t the only one! Fox 26 reporter Natalie Hee opened up to us about the ups and downs of her journey as a new bride-to-be. She even shared the cute story behind how she met her fiancé Kevin – which is too sweet not to share!
Natalie and Kevin matched on a dating app in college over a decade ago. Natalie had already graduated from UT Austin, and Kevin, according to Natalie, “was still in undergrad doing a victory lap,” so she decided to pass on a date. Well, fast forward four years later, Kevin sees Natalie reporting on the news and remembers their app connection. “He then proceeded to ‘romantically’ slide in my DMs (several times),” Natalie says. Though initially skeptical, Natalie finally agreed to meet Kevin for dinner after some nudging from her roommate. Sparks flew, and the pair became inseparable. Two years later, Kevin planned a romantic proposal in Las Vegas. “Seeing him down on one knee and hearing him say the words was way better than I could’ve ever imagined,” Natalie says. And that same roommate who encouraged the date? She’ll stand by Natalie’s side as her maid of honor!
Keep reading for our exclusive interview with Natalie Hee. From her experience on everything from finding the perfect wedding gown to the biggest challenges of being a bride-to-be.
Weddings in Houston: What has been the most stressful part of planning your wedding so far?
NH: Probably the sticker shock. I truly underestimated how much everything was going to cost, so it definitely made me reevaluate every detail to see if it was necessary to make the wedding of our dreams come true.
WiH: How did you and your fiancé decide on your wedding vision or theme? What is the significance or meaning behind it?
NH: Every detail in the wedding pays homage to some part of us — whether it be custom gifts with our dogs’ faces, our favorite colors, songs, food or TV show (there may or may not have been some Game of Thrones references in our invites); it all comes together to create this event that embodies who we are as a couple. We also wanted to pay a special tribute to our heritage. I’m Malaysian Chinese, and my fiancé is half-Korean, so we’ll be serving some authentic Malaysian and Korean dishes at one of our wedding events.
WiH: How did you go about finding the perfect dress for you?
NH: I did a ton of research online until my Instagram algorithm turned into all wedding-related content. I then proceeded to look at hundreds of pictures of gowns until I started narrowing down what brands caught my eye. Two weeks later, I went to three different boutiques in Houston with my mom in one day and tried on probably 50+ dresses. I’m definitely someone that likes to do a lot of research before I go somewhere and it still turned out to be something I simply couldn’t have planned. I had a moment I can’t quite explain in words when I tried on my dress. It just made me smile from ear to ear, feel really excited and a little emotional as well. It suddenly made everything feel very real, especially when they put on the veil. I knew it was the one because I could vividly picture myself walking down the aisle wearing it.
WiH: What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout the wedding planning process?
NH: Focus on the big picture and don’t sweat the little things that, so often, can be out of your control. Remember that at the end of the day, the actual wedding is one night/weekend to celebrate your marriage, which is forever. There will be hiccups that come up unexpectedly and disappoint you and may even cause more stress, and that’s all okay because it’s part of life. The vendors and other people in your life are also living their lives simultaneously and are doing their best to be there for you.
I remember I was so overwhelmed and stressed out when I began the wedding planning process because I truly felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it all happen in a matter of months. It was more stressful than fun initially, and it was sorta ruining the process for me; but in some ways, that overwhelming stress felt sorta “natural” because you often hear other people say, “Oh, how stressed are you? Wedding planning is so stressful,” so you buy into it. One day, I had a conversation with someone who changed my entire perspective and attitude towards wedding planning. They simply reminded me that this is supposed to be one of the best and happiest times of your lives as a newly engaged couple. It reminded me to prioritize what’s important and ignore the outside stressors and pressures of “how it’s supposed to be.” Since then, I’ll say that little reminder has made all the difference because no matter how stressful our work lives and personal lives can be, my fiancé and I always remember to relish every moment along the way because this truly only happens once in a lifetime.
WiH: What wedding planning tasks have you enjoyed versus those you didn’t expect to be so time-consuming?
NH: Most of the research portion of planning was pretty time-consuming for me because I felt like I had such a big learning curve. But overall, I would say that my favorite planning tasks were touring venues and dress shopping. Honestly, I wish I went to a few more bridal boutiques with my bridesmaids, too, just to get the whole experience! Researching bands was also super fun. We went to a few showcases at various bars after work, grabbed a drink and listened to great music. We ended up going with Danny Ray & the Atlantic Street Band because he’s so incredibly talented and easy to work with.
WiH: What are you doing to stay stress-free and relaxed during wedding planning?
NH: I will admit that I could definitely do a better job of minimizing stress on myself (and my fiancé.) He’s been so great about helping calm my nerves when I get overwhelmed about planning and will step in to pick up extra chores around the house just so I don’t have to worry about anything else. We make it a point to take some “days off” from planning and just enjoy our time as an engaged couple. I’ve been trying to rotate weekends and focus on wedding-related tasks only every other weekend. Eating healthy and exercising helps as well. Sometimes, I’ll overthink a task for far too long and just have to step away from it in order to return more productive next time.
WiH: What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
NH: Dancing the night away surrounded by all our favorite people under one roof.
WiH: Do you have any advice for newly engaged couples?
NH: Remember to enjoy this process every step of the way!! It’s such a special and magical time in your lives. Wedding planning becomes what you make it. Forget the excessive stress because the wedding is just the start of your forever. P.S., get a wedding planner and LISTEN to them and their recommendations.
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“From Broadcaster to Bride-To-Be: Exclusive Interview with Natalie Hee” Spotlight WiH Partners- Venue: The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa | Wedding Entertainment: Danny Ray and The Atlantic Street Band
Contributing Vendors- Photo: Tee Tran Studios / Gru Photography
