Real Wedding - Jess & Jos

Why did you choose the Montagu Arms Hotel in the New Forest? 

Jos grew up around the New Forest and on a visit to see his family we stopped in Beaulieu and walked to Bucklers Hard. I remember thinking what a beautiful place, with the added enchantment of donkeys and ponies roaming freely. Of course when we visited the Montagu Arms and met with Clara we were thoroughly impressed, we even made a list of everything we loved about the hotel wedding venue. 

What food did you choose?

We had the arancini to start, it was so tasty and for Jos to choose the vegetarian option is unheard of. Delicious pork belly for main, and the lemon posset to cleanse the pallet. The evening buffet was also amazing, our guests are still talking about the scotch eggs. 

The décor – what was the styling and theme of the day? 

Our colour theme was coral, navy blue and gold, and we took styling advice and hired items from Sam at Linen & Lace. The end result was sumptuous, she also mixed in a few of our handmade items to make it personal us. Jos is skilled at woodwork and carved the table numbers, as well as constructing our card box and for hole garden game.

Who was your florist and what did you choose? 

We left Jo Hicks, our florist, to work her magic knowing May is such a great time of year for flowers. All we asked is that she used our colour scheme and worked with the other suppliers so the was a cohesive thread throughout the setting and arrangements. We particularly loved the terriums, and were blown away by the centrepieces and bouquets. Jo even came to the rescue to cover up a rip in our seating chart with spare flowers. 

Tell us about your wedding dress and big day fashion - include accessories, shoes, hair and makeup, bridesmaids, groom. 

The dress was custom made by House of Savin, it has a leaf embellished design with puff sleeves and a matching veil. The description doesn’t do it justice, it is the most beautiful garment I will likely ever own and felt so comfortable and elegant. Paired with drop pearl earrings and rose gold Florence block heel court shoes. 
The grooms party wore blue Ted Baker suits with coral pocket squares, which matched the bridesmaids coral Rewritten wrap dresses. 

Tell us a bit about the photographer and your cake 

Photography is such a big part of the day, and we were thankful of Scott from ASR Photo for guiding us through it. He was patient with us, and authoritative with our guests when he needed to be in pursuit of the perfect shot. We have a great mix of styles to remember our special day. 
Our cake was a classic 2 tier lemon sponge with buttercream icing and lemon curd filling. It was decorated with macarons and flowers. Melissa from Little Bee Bakery did a great job interpreting into our colour theme and creating separate portions for our guests with dietary requirements. 

What was the best part of the day?

The whole day seemed to fly by, but particularly memorable parts would be walking into the ceremony room and locking eyes on each other. Other highlights include the confetti tunnel, the speeches, and dancing to Sweet Pea even though we hadn’t practiced and were very aware of everyone looking at us, it’s just such a special song none of that phased us. 

Any Words of wisdom?

Don’t be shy to ask your wedding coordinator to work through ideas with you, they know what they’re doing and offer guidance and advice. Clara was the best! On the day you just need to go with the flow and trust the team will make sure it all runs smoothly. We couldn’t have asked for a more friendly, attentive and professional group of people, or a more wonderful setting.

If you are looking for a hotel wedding venue in the New Forest, choose The Montagu Arms Hotel for a wedding day completely bespoke to you. Call 01590 612324 or contact Wedding Team online. From intimate wedding packages to exclusive hire weddings, our hotel in Beaulieu has something to offer every husband and bride-to-be.

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