Green Is The New White: Sustainable Weddings At Careys Manor In 2024
Are you dreaming of a wedding that not only celebrates your love but also supports a greener future?
As part of the family-run hotel group Greenclose Hotel Ltd, Careys Manor & SenSpa is a luxury hotel and award-winning spa in the New Forest, Hampshire, deeply committed to sustainability, making it the perfect choice for your eco-friendly 2024 wedding.
From the moment you step foot through our doors, you’ll be enveloped by our family values and corporate social responsibility. We believe in supporting and caring for our employees, environment, and local community, ensuring responsible behaviour guides our every decision – which seamlessly filters through to our New Forest weddings.
1. From Green Grazing…
One of the most important aspects of any wedding is the food, and at Careys Manor, we take it to the next level. We grow our own vegetables and herbs as much as we can, ensuring that everything is as fresh and sustainable as possible for your wedding table – whether it be a sit down meal or buffet. We also source from local suppliers, including Isle of Wight Tomatoes, and the Book and Bucket Hampshire Cheese Company. The lush grazing buffet included in our Graze & Green Wedding Package is a wonderful showcase of our on-site and locally grown produce.
Our commitment to reducing food waste is constantly evolving, and we know there is more to do. We work closely with organisations like Hampshire Fare to champion locally-sourced produce and enable positive action. By choosing us as the venue for your New Forest wedding, you would be supporting us in this campaign.
2. To Biodynamic Beverages
Good food and good drink – it’s the perfect pairing for a wonderful wedding day. So, let’s not forget about the beverages! Our wine list boasts a selection of organic and biodynamic wines, promoting a greener way of farming for future generations and sustainable viticulture. We also offer a wide range of English sparkling wines, such as Nyetimber, Greyfriars, and Exton Park; championing these local business not only reduces our carbon footprint, but ensures fine quality. In our bar, you’ll find sustainable and organic spirits, including local gin from Winchester and the Isle of Wight. We even use bamboo straws should you require one, eliminating the need for single-use plastic.
Cheers to sustainable spirits and sparkling wines!
3. From Conscious & Cosy Bedrooms…
When it comes to your wedding night, our conscious bedrooms ensure you’ll be surrounded by environmentally-friendly features. Although there are TVs in our bedrooms, they are switched off upon your arrival, allowing you to truly disconnect and enjoy the serenity of our surroundings following your big day. Our key cards and motion sensor lighting ensure that energy is conserved when you’re not in the room, contributing to our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.
Each of our beds, either Hypnos or Millbrook branded, is handcrafted using natural materials, including Hampshire wool, sustainably sourced cotton, and timber from FSC®-certified forests. And through our partnership with CleanConscience, we repurpose and redistribute used soap bars to support those in need of hygiene.
Find out more about this initiative and our conscious bedrooms here.
4. To Eco-friendly Gardens
In our beautiful gardens, we embrace greener gardening practices. Our head gardener, Dave, exclusively purchases new plants and shrubs raised in the New Forest, preserving the natural beauty of our surroundings. Dave grows many of our plants and flowers from seeds, carefully choosing varieties that attract bees. Speaking of bees – we have our own hives on-site, which our breakfast chef Dylan has taken to caring for, and uses the honey in delicious new recipes such as the Sweet As Honey Afternoon Tea which was available in summer 2023.
Our homemade organic compost, made from leaves, grass cuttings, and garden waste, nourishes our vegetable beds, flower borders, and tomato plants. And our fruit shrubs, including loganberries, tayberries, and mulberries, flourish without the use of pesticides. So, not only is our New Forest wedding venue perfect for outdoor wedding ceremonies in summer 2024, with beautiful backdrops to your wedding photography, those seeking a sustainable wedding venue will appreciate our beautiful gardens for the eco-friendly haven that they are.
5. Environmental Extras
At Careys Manor, sustainability extends beyond our individual practices. We are committed to purchasing green and renewable energy, with our electricity sourced from hydroelectric power. We are also taking steps to become a paperless hotel, implementing intelligent software systems and embracing energy-saving technologies. We provide electric car charging points for guests and neighbouring businesses, encouraging the use of electric vehicles.
Many of our wedding suppliers also apply environmentally-friendly practices in their work. Our recommended florist, Little Lillies, is one such local business – Owen Lavin and his partner Anna champion sustainable practices throughout the process when creating their beautiful backdrops, bouquets and buttonholes for weddings. Keep an eye on our blog for more from Owen on the topic coming soon.
By choosing Careys Manor for your 2024 wedding in Hampshire, you’re not only selecting a beautiful New Forest wedding venue, but also joining us in giving back to our national park and the local community. For every stay at our hotel, £1 is donated to the New Forest Trust’s ‘Love the Forest’ scheme, supporting conservation and education projects that preserve our natural surroundings for generations to come.
Make your wedding a celebration of love and sustainability at Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa. Contact us today to start planning your unforgettable eco-friendly wedding in 2024.
