A Festive Celebration: Lily & Lottie’s Christmas Wedding at Careys Manor Hotel
Lily and Lottie’s Christmas wedding at Careys Manor Hotel in the New Forest was full of festive magic, love, and laughter. With twinkling lights, cosy winter charm, and heartfelt personal touches, it was a day to remember.
From Friendship to Forever
How did you meet?
We were friends for a few years before our relationship developed into more, and we haven’t looked back since!
Tell us a little about your journey together before the proposal?
Early into our relationship we were head first into the pandemic, multiple lockdowns and some testing times. We survived and it only made us stronger.
The proposal
I whisked Lottie away to Bovey Castle in Dartmoor for a Spa weekend, even including a spot of clay pigeon shooting. Candles, flowers and a bottle of bubbly were arranged in the room where I proposed. It was a very romantic setting and spoiler alert, Lottie said yes!
Choosing Careys Manor Hotel for Our Christmas Wedding
Finding New Forest wedding venue Careys Manor Hotel
It was on a Google search – we wanted a cosy, Christmas wedding venue and the pictures and package were exactly what we had in mind.
What stood out to you about Careys Manor?
The New Forest location of Careys Manor and the wedding packages on offer really worked for us. We wanted to the whole day all under one roof. We also visited one of their wedding open days and seeing the rooms all set out was spectacular.
Did Hampshire wedding venue Careys Manor live up to your expectations on the day?
We wanted to turn up and do nothing and that is exactly what we got. Françoise in particular made it all very easy for us.
The Details That Made Our Day
Did you have a theme or style in mind for your wedding?
Cosy Christmas wedding.
How did the style come together for your cosy Christmas wedding?
The decoration by Owen Lavin of Little Lillies was exactly what we wanted and brought it to life.
What flowers and décor did you choose?
Owen really listened to our likes as dislikes. We wanted it to be festive, but not full blown Christmas, with a more natural feel within seasonal flowers. On the day it was just as we imaged – magical!
What menu did you choose and why?
To match the season, we chose a set menu — and our guests said it was the best food they’d ever had at a wedding!
Bringing Our Wedding to Life
Tell us about your photographer – what made you choose them, and what do you love about your photos?
Our photographer was Az from Lemontree Photography, and he was an absolute dream to work with. He captured the lighting perfectly and made us feel so comfortable on the day — such a genuinely great guy!
Find Out More: Lemontree Photography
What about your dress and suit?
Lily’s suit was custom-made by King & Allan, who specialise in tailoring for women. Lottie found her dream dress at Julia’s House – a lucky find that not only gave her exactly what she wanted but also supported an incredible charity.
Tell us about your wedding cake
Our cake was lovingly made by a friend with a rustic look to fit the theme.
The entertainment
We had our family DJ, In Sync DJs, who was amazing at keeping the energy high and bringing all the good vibes.
Unforgettable Moments at Careys Manor
What was your favourite moment of the day
It was perfect from start to finish! Careys Manor looked after us and took all the stress away so we could sit back and just enjoy the moment.
Were there any funny, unexpected, or emotional moments you’d love to share?
Lottie’s son wrote a poem that had us both laughing and crying!
Careys Manor is a great venue, excellent staff – a well oiled machine without making you feel your ‘just another wedding’. We couldn’t recommend highly enough, we asked and Françoise delivered.
Would you like to mention or thank any suppliers who helped make your day special?
Careys Staff, Owen, and the Hampshire Registrar were amazing. We also used Dorset Drones for our wedding video – everyone was amazing and made our day perfect
Start planning your Christmas wedding at our Hampshire wedding venue. View our packages here.
Photography credit: Lemontree Photography
