Minstead Lodge

We had our wedding in November of 2019, and although it was a miserable rainy day, the lodge and the gardens looked absolutely stunning! From the moment we first booked the lodge, Lois was on hand to arrange everything, always keeping us informed of what we needed to do! I couldn’t fault her or any of the staff! The day ran very smoothly allowing us to enjoy every moment with our friends and family. The photo opportunities are endless in every part of the lodge and the grounds. Minstead lodge really is a hidden treasure within the New Forest. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it! I couldn’t recommend it enough!!

What a dream venue for our wedding. Having looked at over 30 venues in the area and finding all had lacking facilities, were a bit more generic or we knew people who had married there we stumbled along Minstead Lodge. The lodge itself has such charm and character I knew instantly it was the place for us. We had exclusive use to the lodge, meaning our reception felt completely private and intimate. Along with the help of the lovely team at the lodge, we were able to completely personalise our whole day and decorate it. We chose the bar company, our caterers, DJ, everything. Although this does require a bit more organisation it made our wedding completely individual. Lois was so supportive during the planning stages I didn’t have to worry about it all coming together. Small touches like getting access to set up the day before, setting the rooms up and using the rooms exactly as we wanted is something you just cannot get from another venue. The look and grounds of the lodge are absolutely second to none, we had a wealth of choice for photos and our guests couldn’t believe they had not heard of the venue when it was so beautiful. Both Lois & Kim were such a pleasure to deal with and particularly supportive on the wedding day. We had rain and I felt quite anxious when I first arrived at the venue, after seeing them both I was put completely at ease and just felt pure joy. I cannot thank them enough for being so attentive & helpful throughout the whole process. Above anything else, we completely fell in love with the idea our money was going to charity to help a fantastic cause.

Having looked at many possible wedding reception venues we paid Minstead Lodge a visit and knew from the moment that we stepped into the delightful, wood-panelled lodge that we had found the unique reception venue that we were looking for. Tucked away in the New Forest, with an impressive approach at the end of a long drive, it feels like an exclusive and well-kept secret! The three reception rooms looking out onto the beautiful, terraced gardens are fantastic and provided ample space for all our guests to enjoy our drinks reception, seated wedding breakfast and evening entertainment, which included a live band. Lois, Hospitality and Events Manager, and all the team at Minstead Lodge were brilliant from start to finish; going out of their way to help with our planning and putting vast amounts of work in to ensure the house and gardens, which are already extremely well-kept, were looking even more amazing for our big day. We are extremely grateful to Lois for all her help and her work with our suppliers to ensure we had a day that has left us with countless happy memories. Our catering supplier said that they found the spacious kitchens easy to work in and all of our guests were enthusing how fantastic Minstead Lodge is. We feel extremely lucky and grateful to have found such a special place to celebrate our big day. If you are a looking for a special and unique venue, with the opportunity to support a great charity at the same time, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Minstead Lodge.

‘Susan and I had a magical day at Minstead Lodge. We arrived for our reception to a very warm welcome from the staff, who were kind and thoughtful throughout our stay, catering to our every need. The Lodge is stunning and our guests fell in love with the venue. Peaceful and idyllic, situated in the beautiful New Forest countryside, we couldn't have hoped for a more perfect setting for our big day. Lois and Liz deserve a special mention for all of the wonderful little touches that made our stay at Minstead Lodge so personal and so beautiful. Susan and I then stayed just a stone’s throw away in Furzey House, a stunning thatched cottage nestled in the grounds of Furzey Gardens, which is all part of the Minstead Trust. We were simply stunned by how easy our day was and by how gorgeous the setting is on what was, luckily for us, a lovely sunny day. To everyone who had a hand in making our day so special, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’