Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - May/June 2020 (Issue 80)

REGIONAL VENUES We took a virtual trip into the region’s beautiful National Park to discover a world of wonderful wedding venues in waiting THE NEW FOREST Spotlight on RHINEFIELD HOUSE HOTEL, BROCKENHURST 01590 622 922 | www.handpickedhotels.co.uk Known locally as the ‘jewel in the forest’ this historic venue is a wedding gem. Make your way down the long tee-lined driveway and be prepared for plenty of stop-stare moments from your first glimpse of the impressive 19 th -century Tudor and Gothic country mansion. Set in the heart of the National Park with 40 acres of glorious grounds, two ornamental ponds and a maze, there’s no shortage of fabulous photo opportunities. You can host your whole day here and take your pick of a choice of rooms and spaces suitable for weddings large or small. The Keepers Room, with its ornamental fireplace and large bay windows, is ideal for relaxed intimate weddings while Hurst Castle is the venue’s largest private wedding space. The fully, self-contained modern suite has its own entrance and facilities as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking the topiary orchard and can host up to 100 loved ones for the ceremony, 120 for the wedding breakfast and an extra 30 for the evening reception. For a truly lavish affair, the Grand Hall provides a wow-factor setting that’s hard to beat. A replica of London’s Westminster Hall with intricate carvings, oak panelling and striking windows, it provides a beautiful backdrop for your ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception. We love.. . the Forest Garden, complete with Doric temple; perfect for magical ceremonies. www.kimberleygarrod.co.uk BALMER LAWN HOTEL & SPA, BROCKENHURST 01590 625 779 | www.balmerlawnhotel.com Set in the heart of the New Forest, you can’t miss this landmark hotel. Set back behind the cricket pitch it’s a perfect mix of traditional and contemporary. With sun-drenched terraces and beautiful gardens, you’ll be spoilt for choice for picture-perfect backdrops. Looking out over the lawn, the impressive building boasts a fascinating past and has been used as everything from a hunting lodge and a field hospital to an army staff college and coaching inn. A destination hotspot for weddings, you can marry outside in the garden’s oak-beamed Sylvan Pavilion or in the hotel’s Beaulieu Suite, joined by 140 loved ones. Set back from the main hotel, with its own entrance and facilities, you can host your whole day here in private. The suite includes the refurbished Beaulieu Room and two additional spaces, the Hamble, with its own bar and dancefloor, and the Avon, an additional seating area. There’s access to three outdoor terrace areas as well, including the hotel gardens, and come the evening you can party the night away with up to 220 family and friends. We love... the beautiful high-ceilinged Savernake Room, a light and airy space with a private decked terrace; ideal for the post-vows drinks and more intimate weddings. 15