Your Hampshire & Dorset Wedding - Mar/Apr 2019 (Issue 73)

24 THE AGEAS BOWL, SO30 3XH 02382 027 096 | ageasbowl.com Whether you’re a cricket fan or not, be prepared to be bowled over by the surroundings, amazing views and luxurious facilities at this wedding hotspot. Surrounded by the Boundary Golf Lakes Course, it has a countryside feel, while the cricket stadium provides a a sense of space – you can even pose for pictures with the pitch as your backdrop. There’s a variety of wedding spaces to choose from at the Hilton, a modern hotel with a great sense of glamour and style and the iconic Ageas Stadium. The neutral colours of the hotel complement a range of different themes and the chandeliers in the ballroom add extra wow factor. There’s a private area for guests to gather as they arrive and space for up to 150 loved ones to watch you say ‘I do’. The perfect place to celebrate, the spacious ballroom has a dancefloor and can be split into three sections to suit the size of your celebration. Exclusive from the rest of the hotel, it can can host up to 450 friends and family for a party to remember. The Media Centre on the second floor is also licensed for ceremonies for up to 100 loved ones and has floor-to-ceiling windows with great views overlooking the grounds. At the stadium there’s a choice of ground-floor suites inside the Pavilion suitable for ceremonies large or small and space upstairs to celebrate afterwards. The Ageas Suite on the second floor of the Shane Warne stand also has its own dancefloor and private bar and can host up to 160 reception guests. It has an outside balcony as well with expansive views of the grounds; perfect for post-vows drinks. We love... that couples receive a cricket bat for their guests to sign as a lasting keepsake of their day. ROWNHAMS HOUSE & GARDENS, SO16 8LS 07973 742 245 | rownhamshouse.com If you’re looking for a romantic big-day setting, this magical venue is hard to beat. Set in 12 acres of gardens and woodland, Rownhams House is a beautiful Georgian manor full of character and charm, complete with its own lake and ice house, it’s a photographer’s dream with a wealth of album-worthy backdrops. You can marry inside and choose from five indoor ceremony spaces including the Grand Library, a beautiful room with ornate plastered ceilings and walls, wooden floors and sash windows. With space for up to 120 guests, you can exchange vows and spill out into the garden afterwards for an al fresco drinks reception, before returning inside to the Library for a sit-down meal. The Medieval Coach House with its arches and tall clock tower provides a fairytale setting for more intimate weddings and is ideal for the evening reception. With a spacious main entrance hall, dancefloor, space for a DJ or band, and quirky dedicated bar area in the adjoining Knights Hall, you can celebrate with up to 150 loved ones. We love... the picture-perfect outdoor wedding spaces under the Coach House arch, in the woods or by the lakeside surrounded by woods. photographybyelliejayne.co.uk