With spring well and truly upon us, the borough’s wedding planners are battening down the hatches in preparation for the summertime blitz of brides-to-be.

One such wedding planner is Natasha Corbin Stewart.

From her Gants Hill studio in Eastern Avenue, Natasha helps make sure the happiest day of her clients’ lives goes off without a hitch.

And the 42-year-old’s connection with Redbridge goes back to her teenage years.

“My family are originally from Manor Park, but we moved to Seven Kings when I was 15 – my mum wanted to move out to a nice area I suppose.

“I actually studied nursery nursing at Redbridge College, which is a far cry from what I do now.”

So how did Natasha land the job?

“I was actually working at a beauty salon which had been set up by a multimillionaire, he came in one day and said ‘I’m getting married, you have a month to plan a wedding’, and since then I’ve never really looked back!”

Natasha has now got 20 years of experience in the industry, but that first wedding still stands apart from the others.

“It’s still the shortest amount of time I’ve ever had to plan a wedding – one month.

“The longest I’ve ever had was two years and I’ve just got back from doing a string of five weddings in St Lucia, people seem to love the beautiful beaches out there.”

So what business tips does Natasha have for Redbridge’s would-be entrepreneurs?

“Be honest with yourself and with your client, make sure you understand what they want and make sure you do your very best to give it to them.”