Get the look: a festival wedding at Careys Manor

Delicate floral crowns, silver birch arches, tealights twinkling as the sun goes down, and dancing under the stars. With the festival season in full swing, it’s easy to see how that laid-back festival vibe would work wonderfully for a relaxed woodland wedding.

With more celebrities like Kate Moss and Matthew McConaughey opting for bohemian-style weddings, Careys Manorhotel in the beautiful New Forest has pulled together a few ideas for couples wanting a festival wedding full of charm and personality.

1 A woodland setting

The magical world of the New Forest is perfect for a ceremony that celebrates the beauty of nature, and Careys Manor in Brockenhurst has made the most of its fantastic location to create a fun, informal wedding in the peaceful rural setting of the Bridge Farm field next door.

The hotel’s Festival Wedding package features hay bale sofas and rustic benches sitting on faded Persian rugs, soft white fairy lights strung between white Bell tents, and firepits filled with flowers during the day and lit for toasting marshmallows over at night.

Southcoast Marquees will provide a traditional marquee with beautiful cream canvas and wooden poles, creating a relaxed, elegant space for your wedding day.

2 Dine simply on local produce

Keep things fun and simple. Careys Manor’s barbecue invites you to ‘build your own’ hot dogs – with local sausages from Chris Watson butchers, soft brioche buns, caramelised onions and a selection of sauces, served with homemade slaw, salads and dips.

Encourage guests to create their own prosecco cocktails, with fresh berries, purees and fruit liqueurs. Prosecco buckets on old oak barrels with a hand-written chalk instruction sign completes the look.

Wicker baskets filled with fresh homemade bread, cupcakes or madeleines adds to the laid-back festival food vibe.

3 Gorgeous signage & stationery

It’s a festival wedding, so quirky, creative signs are a must. Megan Hodgson from Wilson and Lionelcreates bespoke signage using vintage chalk boards and beautiful flowing calligraphy, and gorgeous wedding invitations and thank you cards with rustic woodland and delicate floral designs can be designed for you by Dot England.

4 Delicate flowers

Floral sculptor Owen Lavin’srustic style fits perfectly with a festival-style wedding. Think pink hydrangeas and wild daisies in glass jars, soft moss table dividers, white hydrangeas in wooden crates and lush green foliage wound around silver birch arches.

5 Chill out zones Get the look: a festival wedding at Careys Manor

Wooden crates and hay bales are perfect seats for a festival wedding. Rustic palettes can be used for low tables, and faded Persian rugs add comfort and vintage chic. Firepits will keep guests toasty as the evening draws in, and flickering tea light chandeliers can take over when the sun dips below the treeline.

6 Glamping

It really wouldn’t be a festival without tents, and from a bridal suite for two to a Bell tent village, South Coast Glampingprovides beautiful Bell tents complete with fluffy pillows, tea light chandeliers, and chic wooden furniture for a magical night under the stars.

7 Photography

Your wedding photography should be as relaxed as your day, so look for a photographer who will reflect your magical, informal day. Lou Osborneis a wedding photographer from Southampton who specialises in gorgeous, romantic images using soft focus, natural light, pastel colours and textures to create a lifetime of memories.

8 What if it rains?

Now, that would really add to the festival vibe! Make the most of a rainy wedding day with fun floral umbrellas and comfy wellies in pretty prints to ramp up your festival style.