With so many beautiful spaces to choose from in Hampshire and Dorset, I thought I would share five of my favourite luxury wedding venues in the area. I’m very proud to be partnered with some of the most sought-after venues which means I know the spaces well and how to compliment them with your cake design. I’m also always looking to add new venues to my partner list, ensuring I offer you the best service possible.
On the Hampshire/Dorset border – Somerley House is a sophisticated English Country House set in stunning gardens and parkland, and one of my partnered venues. With woodlands and a walled garden to create a luxury but more natural feel, grounds that welcome a marquee, and the exquisite main house with its classic Georgian architecture – Somerley really encapsulates the perfect elegant and luxury wedding venue.
To match the decadent interiors, a delectable dessert table would be a wonderful pairing with Somerley House. Lots of delicious details and indulgent treats – reflecting the exceptional period features – incorporating edible gold to really create that luxury quality, in keeping with the venue.
Awarded ‘Best Venue’ in the South West at the Wedding Industry Awards 2019 – The Italian Villa in Dorset, one of my partnered venues, combines flawless quality with stand-out details. Set within the grounds of Compton Acres, with its breath-taking Italian Gardens, the Italian Villa feels like your own slice of Mediterranean luxury on your wedding day.
Speaking of ‘slice’ – what better cake flavour combination to accompany a luxury wedding venue than strawberries and champagne, or white chocolate and passionfruit (just some of my cake flavour pairings); and for the design – an arrangement of my flawless sugar flowers, bringing the garden inside.
The Four Seasons name is well recognised when talking about hotels, and the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire is certainly one of the finest examples. With its 500 acres of grounds, sophisticated Georgian architecture, and a range of celebration spaces (some suitable for intimate weddings and others for up to 200 guests) – it’s a venue of classic quality and modern luxury.
Depending on the size of your reception, different styles of wedding cake could look beautiful at the Four Seasons Hampshire. A simple but exceptional design could be just right for an intimate day, perhaps with an all-white colour palette and touch of sparkle. Whereas a stand-out display, with a multitude of sugar flowers and mix of colour, could hold its own within the larger, grand interiors.
Set within 130 acres of Hampshire countryside, Chewton Glen is the epitome of English luxury and another of my partnered venues. With six different ceremony spaces, including a beautiful walled garden, and numerous banqueting rooms such as the light-filled and stylish Summer House (which looks out across the grounds) – it has so many options for an exceptional wedding day.
With its versatile reception rooms, your wedding cake design could take many different forms at Chewton Glen and still look breath-taking. I personally think a contemporary and stylish dessert table is befitting any of the spaces – with plenty of sugar flowers, inspired by the romantic garden, and a pared back but mixed coloured palette to really bring your celebration alive.
In the village of Cranborne, Dorset, lies the romantic, country house venue – 10 Castle Street. You can have a civil ceremony within the grounds or, for something particularly special, a traditional service in the village church – with its private door outside leading directly into the gardens of 10 Castle Street. With classic and sophisticated reception rooms, and stunning grounds, it’s the perfect choice for a wedding day full of luxury.
10 Castle Street has a certain charm that lends itself to a cake design a little different from most. Flawless clean lines, lots of couture textures, and romantic sugar florals – perhaps with a touch of gold.
I hope this blog post helps you in your wedding planning process and goes some way to starting your venue shortlist. If you want to discuss how I can create a cake display to compliment your luxury wedding venue in Hampshire or Dorset (or the surrounding counties of Berkshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Somerset, and London) – contact me to arrange a consultation.