Real Wedding - Sian & Liam

Sian and Liam Married at our New Forest Hotel, The Montagu Arms, in September 2023

Why did you choose the Montagu Arms Hotel, Hampshire?

We wanted an intimate wedding, and when we visited The Montagu Arms, we fell in love with it. The hotel gardens were beautiful and the location was ideal. We wanted a dog friendly wedding venue too and the set up at The Montagu Arms meant our dog could be with us for the whole day. Clara, the wedding coordinator was great on our visit, answering all our questions and being welcoming.

What food did you choose?

We really wanted an intimate wedding breakfast, with great wedding food and a family atmosphere - The Montagu Arms more than delivered! We chose to have a big oval table in the Oakwood room, to create a family atmosphere. We had a three course meal and were able to give our guests a choice of what they would like between melon or fishcakes; chicken supreme or fillet of beef and lemon meringue tart or chocolate delice. We had a variety dietary requirements and The Montagu Arms were very helpful and everyone loved the wedding meal. All the meals were delicious - including the fish pie from the A La Bark menu for our pooch!  

Who was your florist and what did you choose?

Jo Hicks was our wedding florist, and she was amazing! We showed her the colour palette we were looking for and sent pictures of the various things we had bought - she then tied the flowers into that. We had some lovely vases on the fireplace for our ceremony and lots of bud vases dotted around the room, which were then moved to the table for our feast. Jo asked if there were any particular flowers we wanted, and she incorporated these too. The bouquets were beautiful and we cannot thank her enough.

Tell us a bit about the photographer and your cake 

Summer Gray was our photographer - and wow! We wanted a photographer who was friendly and bubbly, and liked dogs. We had an engagement shoot with Summer and we knew she was perfect for us! She captured some amazing pictures and was so warm and inviting. We are so happy with how our pictures have turned out.

We also had a videographer, Steve Hogg. He created a highlights reel and filmed our speeches and ceremony in full. Steve was great, and was a lot of fun on the day. He has captured the day so beautifully.

Our wedding cake was created by Sarah Louise Cakes. We showed Sarah our colour palette and she created a stunning cake. There were so many flavours to choose from and it was very difficult! We settled on a chocolate and salted caramel bottom tier and a red velvet top tier. We also had some vegan and gluten free lemon cupcakes. Sarah helped us choose how to display the cakes and she arranged everything beautifully on the day. The wedding cakes were all delicious! 

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

My dress and veil were from Wed2B and my shoes were from Irregular Choice. I had various accessories for the day, all from Etsy. The suits for the groomsmen were from Moss Bros and their accessories also came from Etsy. As we were having an intimate micro wedding, we wanted to spend big on other things and so kept everything quite simple. 

The Montagu Arms has some lovely dog friendly courtyard rooms, and I stayed in one the night before the wedding with our pooch and my maid of honour. It was the perfect bridal suite to get ready in the morning, and we had our hair done by Abigail Blake and our make up by Laura Crowther. Abby was great and helped me pick a hair accessory that could be woven into my hair. My make up trial was great and Laura created exactly the look I was going for. On the morning, the bridal party along with Abby and Laura were all in the courtyard room, which had enough space for everyone.

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

We did not have a theme as such, but we had a colour palette for the day. We bought a variety of candles and some table runners fitting our theme. Our florist, Jo, created some beautiful flower vases for us and these were matched really well with the colours we gave her. The team at The Montagu Arms set the Oakwood room beautifully, and they created a lovely intimate setting for our guests to enjoy the fabulous food.

What was the best part of the day - any words of wisdom?

Spending our special day with our closest friends and family, and having a confetti run with the dog!

The day goes so quickly - try to take some time to take everything in and enjoy it.
 

Photographer - Summer Gray

Flowers - Jo Hicks

Cake - Sarah Louise 

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.

MAKE AN ENQUIRY