Thinking of Proposing This Winter? Why the New Forest is Perfect for an Exclusive Use Wedding

The New Forest is one of England’s oldest and most beloved national parks, and Beaulieu sits at its heart like a jewel. With its medieval history, winding lanes, free-roaming ponies, and breath taking natural beauty, it offers couples a backdrop that simply cannot be replicated. Whether you envision a candlelit ceremony in winter or a crisp spring morning celebration, wedding venues in the New Forest offer an unmatched sense of place and atmosphere.

For couples seeking hotel weddings in Hampshire with genuine character, the New Forest ticks every box. Unlike generic event spaces, a Beaulieu wedding means your day is rooted in somewhere that feels real, storied, and deeply romantic.

One of the most precious things we offer at The Montagu Arms is the opportunity to take over the entire hotel for your wedding day. Our exclusive use package means the hotel is entirely yours.  Every bedroom, every lounge, every corner of our beautiful garden. Your guests will feel the full warmth and privacy of a venue that has been reserved solely for your celebration.

This is not simply a matter of logistics. Exclusive use transforms your wedding into an immersive experience. Guests can wander between rooms, gather around the fire, spill out into the English country gardens, and truly inhabit the space together. There are no strangers, no other events competing for attention, just your family, your friends, and the people you love most, held within the walls of one of the finest intimate wedding venues in Hampshire.

With 32 beautifully appointed bedrooms, your closest guests can stay the night and make a proper occasion of the day. There is nothing quite like waking up the morning after your wedding surrounded by those you love, sharing a leisurely breakfast in the very place where your marriage began.

We understand that every couple is different, which is why our wedding packages in the New Forest are designed with flexibility and genuine personalisation at their core. Whether you are dreaming of an intimate gathering of thirty guests or a grander exclusive use celebration, our dedicated wedding team will work with you to craft a day that reflects exactly who you are.

Our award-winning restaurant, The Terrace, is at the heart of the experience. The kitchen draws on the finest local and seasonal ingredients to create menus that are as memorable as the setting itself. From canapés on arrival to a show-stopping wedding breakfast and evening celebration, every element of your dining experience will be considered with the same care and attention to detail that defines everything we do at The Montagu Arms.

Our wedding packages include everything from ceremony room hire and floral table arrangements to accommodation and a dedicated point of contact from the moment you begin planning to the moment you leave for your honeymoon. We are here to make the process joyful, not stressful.

If you are considering a winter wedding in the New Forest, we cannot recommend it highly enough. There is a particular kind of romance to a winter celebration, candles flickering in darkened rooms, log fires crackling in the hearth, guests wrapped in velvet and warmth, the whole world outside hushed and frost-kissed.

The Montagu Arms comes into its own in winter. Our interiors, with their panelled walls, soft lighting, and abundance of fresh flowers, feel truly magical during the colder months. There is an intimacy to a winter wedding that summer celebrations, for all their sunshine, rarely match. And practically speaking, winter dates often offer greater availability and more competitive pricing across our wedding packages, meaning you can sometimes secure your ideal date with greater ease.