Real Weddings – Tanya & Dan

On the blog today we catch up with Tanya and Dan after they celebrated their autumnal wedding here at Hampshire wedding venue, Careys Manor.

How did you met?

Dan and I met in between lockdowns online, and like so many couples back then, we took the plunge of living together – rather than spending months apart in yet another lockdown.

The proposal

We had been talking about getting married for a while and even picked out an engagement ring together. Dan then hid it from me, until the proposal, as he still wanted to surprise me. When we went to visit my family, he managed to sneak the ring into our luggage and surprised me by getting down on one knee when we were all sat together. My mum was the only other person who knew what was about to happen, and managed to catch it on camera.

Finding Hampshire wedding venue Careys Manor Hotel

We were researching venues within the Dorset and Hampshire area, and Careys Manor instantly caught our eye, especially as it seemed perfectly suited for our smaller wedding. Once we saw it, we never even looked at other venues, we just instantly knew it was the right place for us – from the ambience, to the size and package options.

The flowers and décor 

We went for purple flowers but with a lot of greenery and wood, so Owen of Little Lillies was the perfect choice, especially as he’d worked with Careys Manor many times. Owen also provided the ‘moon gate’ which was an absolute must-have the second I saw a photo of it. Owen absolutely exceeded our expectations. We knew he’d be great but the moon gate and our centrepieces were absolutely gorgeous. All our guest kept complementing the unique and stunning floral arrangements we had.

The stationery 

Antonia from Lavish Lettering not only did all our invites, but also all the day stationary on the day – including a last-minute table plan. Her work is stunning, and she really understood the look we were going for; especially as we wanted touches of Disney, without it being too obvious or cartoony.

The food 

It was great to have the tasting session at Careys before choosing our menu, this really helped us narrow down the choices. We ended up going for a vegetarian, fish and meat dish on each course, so every guest could hopefully find something they enjoyed. The risotto was definitely a personal highlight! But, everything from the canapés and wedding breakfast to the evening buffet was delicious – and plenty of it! No one went home hungry!

The photographer

We chose Scott from ASRPHOTO Wedding Photography as he came recommended. We had a little pre-wedding shoot with him, which really helped us all get to know each other prior to the day. We appreciated his mixture of candid and posed photos, and his relaxed manner. The photos turned out beautiful, and with a quick turnaround too!

The dress 

I wore a gorgeous Eddy K dress which I bought at Sarah Jane Bridal. It definitely made me feel like a fairy tale princess. The second I tried it on, I knew it was the one for me. Sarah was so friendly and really took her time helping me find my perfect dress, and helped with everything after too.

The wedding cake

I run a small baking business, Tanya’s Patisserie, so I provided both our wedding cake and cupcakes. We actually opted for a faux wedding cake, so the decorations are all real, but the inside is Styrofoam, as we didn’t have a big enough wedding to warrant a huge cake. Then I made a selection of cupcakes, so everyone could enjoy those whenever they fancied during the evening – or even take one home.

The entertainment

We went with Toby, the recommended DJ, who really understood that we wanted a low-key but fun evening. He kept the dancefloor busy, and provided the perfect background music during our meal. We also hired some retro consoles from JoyPad which were set up in the little side room. Both Dan and I are gamers, as were a lot of our guests. It was also a great alternative for those who didn’t fancy dancing.

We want to thank Françoise, Anthony and all the team for helping the day go through without a hitch. We truly had the most wonderful day!

To start planning your day at New Forest wedding venue, Careys Manor Hotel, contact us to book a personal show around with one of our Wedding Coordinators or visit us at our next Wedding Open Day.

Photography credit: ASRPHOTO Wedding Photography