Who doesn’t love a woodland wedding? Especially when it’s a memorable, picturesque setting, with beautiful surroundings, great views and, of course, incredible food.
If you’re planning an outdoor woodland wedding, allow us to guide you our way – the New Forest takes some beating for a backdrop, with wild ponies wandering past at any point – and we’ve seen many brides sport some very cool white wellies. How’s that for one for the wedding photo album?
We understand that the British weather can be, shall we say, fickle and unpredictable… so at New Forest Collection our woodland wedding venues always have a contingency plan, as we bring the outdoors inside, and vice versa.
However big or small your wedding party, we have woodland wedding venues to suit.
Animal magic
BETWEEN BEAULIEU AND LYNDHURST
It’s not every woodland wedding venue that can say it’s dog friendly and has ponies wandering past the window at all times of the day – but then there aren’t many places like Beaulieu Inn.
This former coaching inn is surrounded by heathland, so it’s at the very heart of the wild beauty of the New Forest – perfect for any woodland wedding reception.
Within the walls of this quirky building is a range of highly versatile spaces – from the Beaulieu Suite (one of the largest woodland wedding venues in the New Forest) which seats 90 and has capacity for 250 on the evening, to something more intimate and low-key, such as the Ipley or Exbury Rooms, which can comfortably accommodate 80 guests – with access to the stunning gardens to boot.
Whichever you choose, there’s the wild outdoors right outside for those all-important wedding shots, or simply some space to take a break. It also makes for a great thing to do the next day to blow away the cobwebs… before you head to the inn’s own countryside pub, The Drift, for a restorative pint and lunch.
Forest Lodge may be a townhouse hotel at the heart of Lyndhurst, but it still makes a great woodland wedding venue.
Just a few minutes’ walk from the forest, it’s tucked away out of sight, so weddings feel intimate and private. There’s a large swimming pool for you to relax in before or after the big day – and the award-winning food means the wedding breakfast won’t disappoint.
In terms of the wedding space itself, the Forest Suite ticks every box – room for 150 guests, access to the courtyard garden for photos – and the glistening chandeliers give the room that special pizzazz and glamour.
If you want your woodland wedding to be a relaxed affair, have a dash of history combined with fantastic locally-sourced food and the most magical setting, head for Bartley Lodge.
Set at the end of a woodland drive, this Grade-II listed 18th century country house near Lyndhurst in the New Forest is settled in eight tranquil acres of landscaped grounds and is the perfect place to unwind and reconnect. The historic home of the celebrated Victorian ‘father of geology’, Charles Lyell, the rooms at Bartley Lodge have been individually designed with earthy interiors and fascinating fabrics to bring a sense of the outdoors inside.
Bedrooms are calming and inspired by nature, while the lodge itself is full of intriguing and flexible spaces for your wedding – and outside there’s a beautiful terrace and rolling lawns, magical woodland and majestic ancient oaks.
Where to wed? You can tie the knot in the elegant Wedgwood Crystal Room, before heading outdoors for pictures; gather up to 90 of your friends and family and feast on the finest locally-sourced food in the oak-panelled Baronial Hall. For the all-important evening celebrations there’s a private bar and space for up to 150 guests at this large wedding venue.
If it’s blue skies, green forests and red deer you’re after, then Burley Manor is your woodland wedding destination.
Dating back to the mid 19th century, Burley Manor is a stunning baronial-style manor house with individually-designed boutique rooms and suites. It’s set within an 800-year-old estate, surrounded by rolling countryside and a red deer sanctuary – surely all the ingredients you could wish for a woodland wedding? The village of Burley is only a few minutes’ walk away too, if you or your guests need a breather before or after the celebrations.
When it comes to the main event itself, Burley has a real trump card – a beautiful rustic, beamed barn which can host 80 guests for a sit-down meal – bright and airy in spring and summer – or warm and inviting with a roaring log fire in the colder months. The evening party can accommodate up to 120 guests dancing the night away.
But what about the food – a key element to any wedding, surely? Well, Executive Head Chef, Thomas Sheppard takes inspiration from his passion for the Mediterranean lifestyle and ingredients, so woodland wedding menus often include sharing boards, traditional paella, Italian-style hog roast or Mediterranean barbecues. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
