Real Weddings | Aisha & Alastair

Sep 2018

Aisha & Alistair tied the know at The Montagu Arms on 25th August 2018.

The Proposal

We were getting ready to go out to see Wicked in London. I was not feeling very well so was taking my time to get ready! I was in the living room looking for my make up and when I turned around, Ali was down on one knee! We never made it to the show, instead we went for dinner and had the biggest steak known to man!

Why did you choose The Montagu Arms Hotel for your wedding?

We had been to the Montagu Arms for our 6 month anniversary dinner where we had the taster menu. It was so good that we brought Ali’s parents for their birthday so knew the food and service was excellent. I had looked at several wedding venues around the country but nothing took my liking. Then, one evening, I met my friend for dinner in Monty’s and noticed the wedding brochure. One look and I was sold!

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The Dress

As I’m of Indian origin yet was not having a traditional Indian wedding, I wanted to add an Asian twist to my wedding dress so wore a beautiful white sari with gold and silver crystals and embroidery.

The Groom's Oufit

Ali previously served in the Army was upset that he could no longer wear his uniform as he left the Army 3 years previous. So instead he embraced his Scottish heritage and wore a Lamont Tartan Modern kilt.

The Bridemaids

As the wedding was only for 32 people, I decided to not have bridesmaids. Instead, I had 2 flower girls, one of which is Ali’s god daughter.

The Ceremony

It was in the Oakwood Room as well as the ceremony. The theme colours were green and blue (to match Ali’s kilt). The flowers were done by Jo Hicks and my mother. We had a harp during the ceremony and had two readings; one from Daisy (Ali’s cousin) and one from Syra (my sister). The room was so beautiful on its own that I felt like I didn’t need to decorate it too much so stuck to flowers only.

The Reception

The reception was also in the Oakwood Room. The wedding guest tree, sweets and cake were added to the room. Alex from The Pastry Corner supplied a semi naked cake which was delicious and the wedding cake toppers were two champagne corks that I decorated myself. The cake was cut with Ali’s Officer Commissioning Sword from Sandhurst. The dinner was a 3 course meal with speeches between each course. This included a surprise speech by the surprise guest; Ali’s best friend from the Army who flew all the way from Tanzania along with his girlfriend especially for the wedding. Ali did not know he was coming! The meal and speeches were perfect with Ali’s dad and Paul from the bar as perfect compares. After dinner most people left to drive back home whilst we sat in the bar catching up with our surprise guests. We then finally retired to the Hayloft suite where we enjoyed a late night bath in the huge bath tub and some bubbles.

The Flowers

Thistles, white roses, purple/blue veronica, soft ruscus, gypsophelia and fresh lavender from my garden.

The Décor

Mainly flowers around the room. For the top table, we did an arrangement of flowers with 3 lanterns, tea light holders and decorative birds dispersed in between them. For the table legs, we used wooden confetti “Mr & Mrs” & hearts along with tealight holders and flower vases.

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How do you feel the day went?

The day was utterly perfect and we did not want it to end!

Any particular memories from your Wedding Story that stand out that you would like to share?

The look of sheer shock on Ali’s face when he saw his best friend arrive at the hotel. Two days before, his friend (Pix) had rung him to say that he was heading up Mount Kilimanjaro…he was actually in the UK. Also, the time I got to spend with my close friends and family whilst I was getting ready in the Hayloft suite was unforgettable.

Clara and her staff were absolutely amazing and made the day go flawlessly.

Consider the Montagu Arms Hotel for your wedding venue in the New Forest. Pop by our Wedding Open Day on Sunday 4th March or contact Clara Earp today 01590 614981 to book your show around.