I am going to give you my honest opinion of some of the best venues I have been to. Although I am just a wedding DJ, I have also helped run weddings from start to finish at some of these new forest wedding venues since 2007. I have a unique view – so in no particular order or preference here are my personal top 7 wedding venues in the New Forest area. 

Careys Manor:

This venue has everything (almost) – its a luxury 4 star hotel, it has one of the best spa facilities in the UK, it is based in Brockenhurst, has a train station, lots of hotels and B&B’s as well as shops just a walk away, THREE restaurants (Cambium, Thai, French), it has 2 large function rooms, 3 areas to have a ceremony (including outside) & also top notch food & staff. 

The best parts of Careys Manor (for me anyway) is the tower at the front, the Candian ski lodge lounge, the secret french street (in Le Blaireau) & the front lawn (near the road) at sunset as there is a horizon view. Brockenhurst itself is a minute walk away & has a dozen pubs, and a lot of nice shops and cafes as well as the Balmer Lawn Hotel or the Pig to go and visit for food and drink. Failing that during the summer it has the Neigh Bar – which is a horse box bar that serves drinks and food on the front lawn. 

The only negative is that it does not have a large amount of grounds, but there is plenty of space for drinks and photos regardless & large private patios off both function rooms. The Complete Package is the most popular as it includes the DJ (us), florist & other out of season packages include a range of extras (such as a photo booth). I have worked alongside this venue for a long time now & it is the only venue i am in on a package with (and I am very fussy LOL). I have completed at least 1,400 wedding & events at this venue since 2010 so this is a very strong recommendation!

Rhinefield House: 

www.rhinfieldhouse.co.uk

Rhinefield House Hotel is one of the most iconic wedding venues in the UK. It’s quite frankly uniquely stunning as it’s Tudor & gothic architecture is matched by the grounds and the ornamental drive that holds some of the largest trees in the UK. This is an engineering masterpiece & even after all these years I marvel at all the detail and craftsman ship that went into its construction on almost every visit!

For weddings Rhinefield House hotel uses the Grand Hall for the wedding meal & the Kings room for the reception although it also has the Keepers room for smaller weddings. Most ceremonies take place in the grand hall but you also have the option of getting married and having a wedding ceremony outside in the stunning grounds. 

It boasts 3 places to eat, which include the armada restaurant, the orangery & downstairs bar – not to mention exclusive use of the Alhambra room & masterpiece and recreation of the Alhambra Palace in Spain. 

It has a small spa (I have never been there) and an outdoor pool. It’s literally in the middle of nowhere so you can go in any direction and walk in open forest. Failing that it has a really cool Maize that my kids love & several large formal ponds with very friendly carp. 

The food and staff & second to none & I cannot recommend this venue more highly.  Having worked there consistently since 2008 the only negatives I have every heard are from people that have not booked it as they find it too dark and ‘grand’ – so it’s possibly a  bit ‘Marmite’ for some. As it is a 4 star hotel a lot of the guests do not stay the night so have to get taxis as it is more remote. Having said that Brockenhurst is 5 mins down the road & Brockenhust Taxis are excellent. For cheaper accommodation I recommend the Huntsman. 

Burley Manor: 

www.burleymanor.co.uk

I have worked at Burley Manor for many years and some of my first weddings were there, way before it was bought by the New Forest Hotel chain. To be fair I always thought it was rather ropy back in the day but I loved the access (starught through one door) and location. 

Since the hotel has been bought an renovated by the New owners it is now a very nice space for a wedding. I have listed this as it one of the only barn type venues within the New Forest (as its not an agricultural area) so is rather unique. it also has the manor house which is really cool. It overlooks a large field usually covered in deer & is right next to the village of Burley – which has a number of cafes, pubs & a few new age shops.

I especially like Burley Manor for weddings because you not only have a Manor House setting (est.1852) but also the stable block which has been converted and extended to include 2 large spaces separate from the hotel and it’s residents. The fact you have 2 function rooms now means that you can have a ceremony in one room, while the other is ready for the meal & the entertainment can get set up before you finish the meal (unlike a marquee (for example). 

The food is good, the service is good & the price is very competitive compared to the two venues I have listed above. It’s also worth noting I am not currently recommended at this venue – although I have been over the years. 

Master Builders: 

www.masterbuilders.co.uk

The New Forest National Park gained it’s popularity for tourism in the 1800’s. Before that it was basically a hunting ground for royalty, (thanks to William the conqueror) & there are very few truly historical wedding venues in the New Forest that remain today. 

Ignoring the amazing Beaulieu Domus & remains of one of the largest monasteries in the UK the Master Builders Hotel is a very special place indeed. It was a war ship production hub for many hundreds of years and has not only the hotel but also the terraced houses that housed the workers, a museum and also the original small chapel. It is nestled in Bucklers Hard, a busy but chilled yacht haven & is a very calm and peaceful place to be. 

The venue itself is rather rustic in design but very functional when it comes to weddings. There are accessibility issues as the whole hotel is situated on a hill, so there are a lot of stairs from the entrance, but when in the function area, its OK (unless they need a wee).

I have personally been working at this venue since I started being a wedding DJ and love it to bits. the layout of the function room is not great to be fair as it is laid out in an  L shape, but it has a terrace right outside and a bar so everyone is in the same space. There is a small lounge not far away, but only the tired guests tend to go in there. 

Post First dance I have always had a great time & things have gone really well on all the weddings at the Master Builders. Most importantly the food is excellent and the staff are lovely (under the current management – 2025). 

I am not a fan of the load in (as its a little tricky) – so this is a big recommendation for a venue that has character and a bit of history. It’s worth noting I am not currently recommended at this venue – although I have been over the years. 

Pylewell Park: 

www.pylewellpark.co.uk

This is a wildcard – I have never worked at Pylewell Park (although I was recommended for a bit) but this is one of the best stately home/estate/private venue in the New Forest & they have won a number of awards. It is a large Marquee wedding venue – which also is not common in the New Forest (usually due to licensing). If you want a peaceful wedding day near the solent miles from anyone else & want the help of proactive and positive staff – this is for you. 

The Pyelwell Estate wedding venue is in the middle of an estate and you can pretty much custom make you wedding, so that makes is a bit different to the previous wedding venues I have listed.  Being an estate it is miles from anywhere & has 10 rooms, but you are not far from the town of Lymington & the hotel Elmers Court so your guests have a range of place to stay – such as the Wallhampton Arms & Stanwell House Hotel. 

Beaulieu Inn Hotel

www.beaulieuinn.co.uk

This is the 2nd New Forest Hotels chain venue I have mentioned & this is also a one off type of venue & maybe only applicable to a certain type of person? 

As I live down the road from this venue and love the open forest this holds a special place in my heart for me as it is such a remote & intimate venue, but also has so much potential. The hotel itself  has a very large function suite that can be halved into two & also a seperate bars area & small pool. Next door it has the Drift pub which is lovely. & across the road they have horse auctioning area, a small woodland and open forest all around the venue. There is a train station also. It has a small and attractive garden to the rear which is relatively private, although it backs on to a car park and busy pub garden (in the summer) 

The hotel itself is a 3 star & this has a bit of a difference from most the other venues with regards to some of the services, but I think this is one of the best value wedding venues in the New Forest, particularly when it comes to location & also the maximum capacity. 

I have worked at this hotel since 2007 and was recommended for many years & love it. It is what it is – it reflects the scenery that surrounds it – true simplicity & unique New Forest beauty. 

Elmers Court Hotel

www.elmerscourt.co.uk

Like a lot of the other wedding venues I have listed this is wedding venue is similar to be fair, but I also love it a lot. This venue is also a late 1800’s recreation of an older house (similar to the Crown inn Lyndhurst   & even the Beaulieu Inn or Burley Manor (& a number of other local venues), but it has a roman & Tudor twist which which can be seen in the function room & the rear as well as the chimneys making it look like a much older venue that has been added too. The function room (& bar area) boats one of the most amazing decorative ceilings in the New Forest & I would love to hire a Delorian and travel back in time and visit these wedding venues when they had major celebrations!

A lot of effort was invested into this building & it is very impressive & is one of the best architectural examples in the New Forest wedding venue list. It is in some ways on par with the amount of effort (and money) spent on Rhinefield House Hotel but is let down with the some of the buildings built in the grounds at Elmers over recent years. But on the plus side this means that room prices are a lot lower for your guests – I have stayed here many times and its great (especially if you have children). 

Being close to Lymington you have the fabulous town a short walk away with its quaint characteristics & a lot of shops, but also a train station just down the road, not to mention cheaper accommodation for your guests, although Elmers is quite well priced when it  comes to rooms as a lot of them are chalet style & also self catering. Having run my own events personally here as well as the weddings I know it well and especially appreciate the sparse and pretty grounds, particularly the bottom half overlooking the bay at lymington in the morning and also sunset.

The hotel has a main bar next to the function hall area and a restaurant in the older building as well as a restaurant/cafe in the new health center area not too far away, which also boasts an indoor pool, sauna, squash courts and other amenities as well as an outdoor pool.  

Although the prices have gone up in recent years a little (2025) I think this is one of the best value four star New Forest wedding venues available given the size, the food, service and grounds at hand. Its off the beaten track – which maybe hard for some, but I think that is largely its appeal as its unique (similar to Beaulieu Inn).