Event Planning: Full-Service Coordination Across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire

Planning a good event involves more than picking a date and hoping the caterer has remembered the forks. There’s the venue, the food, the drinks, the timings, the suppliers, the guests, and, eventually, the weather deciding it wants a say.

New Forest Events plans, caters, staffs and runs events across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire. One team. One contract. One point of contact. So you can enjoy your own event instead of coordinating it from beside the bins.

We’re chef-led and hands-on. We don’t hand you a list of suppliers, wish you luck and vanish into the shrubbery. We help shape the event, bring the key parts together and keep the day moving.

What we plan

From about 20 guests to large celebrations, we plan events that feel like yours, not a standard package with your name awkwardly added at the top.

That includes:

• Weddings and receptions, with full planning or on-the-day coordination
• Milestone birthdays and private parties
• Corporate events, away days and Christmas parties
• Private dinners and intimate gatherings
• Festivals, pop-ups and community events
• Wakes and memorial gatherings, handled with care

Some clients want us to take the whole project from first idea to final clear-up. Others have made a start and want a steady, experienced team to manage the day. Both are sensible options. There is no prize for doing every stressful job yourself.

Finding a venue that actually works

A venue can look excellent in photographs and still be entirely wrong for your event. Capacity, access, kitchens, power, licensing, parking, noise limits and supplier access all matter. So does whether the space suits the people you’re inviting. A beautiful room that doesn’t work for your plans is still a problem, just with nicer wallpaper.

We’ve worked with over 100 venues across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, from the Roman Baths in Bath all the way to Petersfield. Don’t be misled by the name: New Forest Events doesn’t mean we stop at the forest boundary.

We help you find suitable options, arrange site visits and ask the practical questions before you commit.

The planning, without the loose ends

A good event plan is more than a spreadsheet. It’s knowing who is doing what, when they need to arrive, what happens if something changes, and who has the answer when a supplier calls with a question.

Depending on what you need, we can coordinate:

• Budget planning and supplier costings
• Supplier liaison and contract management
• Venue sourcing and site visits
• Guest numbers, seating and transport
• Accommodation coordination for the wedding party
• Styling, furniture and décor
• Timings, setup, service flow and breakdown
• Contingency planning for weather, suppliers and anything else that develops opinions

We also build the food and drinks into the plan, rather than treating them as separate projects that somehow need to meet on the day.

Food that belongs at the event

Menus are shaped around the occasion, the season and the people at the table. We work with locally sourced ingredients and seasonal produce, with foraged touches where they suit the menu. From canapés and grazing to private dining, the format should fit the event, not the other way round.

Dietary needs and allergies are discussed properly, not left until someone spots a note on a place card. Explore our catering menus for a flavour of what we can create.

Drinks, bar and service

We can plan custom bar menus, coordinate drinks and staffing, and help with the licensing requirements for your event. That might mean a hosted bar, a consumption bar or a hybrid option with a set contribution and a sensible limit. We’ll talk through what suits your budget and guests, because “we’ll just see how it goes” is not a bar budget.

Our mobile bar hire can include the bar, trained staff, glassware, ice and a tailored drinks menu. We’ll help make the arrangement clear before the event, not explain the bill afterwards.

Entertainment and everything around it

We can help with entertainment and live music bookings where it adds to the occasion. It’s one part of the plan, not the whole plan. We also coordinate furniture, décor, transport and the practical details that make the day run smoothly.

For outdoor events, that includes having a workable plan B. Marquees are lovely. Marquees in sideways rain, with no thought given to access or ground conditions, are less charming. We think about weather, supplier changes and the many other small surprises events like to produce.

One team from planning to pack-down

When the food, bar, staffing and event coordination are handled as one joined-up service, decisions are easier and information doesn’t get lost between six separate inboxes.

We coordinate the moving parts, keep suppliers informed and manage the running order on the day. You stay involved in the decisions. We hold the logistics. That’s support, not a takeover, and it’s a much better way to host an event than checking your phone every seven minutes.

Why New Forest Events?

Nova brings more than 20 years of event-planning experience in Hampshire and the New Forest, alongside 30 years in bars and restaurants. She’s a Leiths-trained patisserie chef, holds a Personal Licence and Food Safety Level 4 and has an allergy certificate.

Before events, Nova was Technical Director at CNN International, working on live global broadcasts. That is where the calm-under-pressure comes from. If a schedule changes, she doesn’t need to lie down in a quiet room. Usually.

New Forest Events ran the Milford on Sea Music Festival from 2018 to 2021 and has received industry recognition including Best Bespoke Mobile Bar & Event Catering Company 2026 – Hampshire from SME News, New Event Management Company of the Year 2025/26 at the South England Prestige Awards, and two category wins in the Corporate LiveWire Global Awards 2026/27.

We’ll also give you straight advice. If an idea is likely to waste your money, we’ll say so. We once moved a client from a garden marquee into a castle and saved them money. Yes, we’re still rather pleased with that one.

How it works

1. Tell us the basics: your date, guest numbers, budget and the sort of event you have in mind.
2. We come back with a practical plan: venue options, menu ideas and clear next steps.
3. We coordinate the details: with as much or as little involvement from you as you want.
4. You make the decisions; we run the logistics: through planning, setup, service and breakdown.

If you’re looking for an event planner in Hampshire, a wedding planner in Hampshire or a party planner in Hampshire, tell us what you’re organising. We can also help with event catering in Hampshire and mobile bar hire in Hampshire, with the wider team and supplier network to support events across Dorset and Wiltshire too.

Start with the date, the guest count and the budget. We’ll take it from there, and you can get back to being the host.

Talk to New Forest Events about your plans.A bar should be more than a place where someone asks if you want ice. It should have a bit of theatre, a bit of mischief, and a very good answer to the question, “What’s in this?” Our Botanical Bars are built around handcrafted cordials, seasonal ingredients, and foraged finds that bring real character to every serve.

You won’t find generic mixers doing the heavy lifting here. Instead, you’ll discover rhubarb and gooseberry cordials made right here in Hampshire, all sharp edges, bright sweetness, and just enough attitude to keep things interesting.

The highlights of our custom bar menus:

• The New Forest Spritz: A refreshing, low-ABV serve featuring fermented berry shrubs and local herb hydrosols. It’s crisp, clever, and dangerously easy to keep saying yes to.
• Foraged Highballs: Depending on the month, your guests might get a gorse flower cordial highball that tastes like sunshine with better manners, or an autumnal crab apple and smoked herb serve with a gloriously hedgerow-ish edge.
• Non-Alcoholic Sophistication: We treat our mocktails with the same care as our cocktails. Using ingredients like reishi and other botanical elements, we create “Forest Fizzes” that feel grown-up, layered, and far more exciting than a token orange juice.

Whether you are hosting at a stunning venue or in your own private garden, our custom bar hire ensures your drinks are as memorable as the setting.

A Seamless, Stress-Free Experience

We know that planning a bespoke event can feel like a daunting task. How do you source enough wild garlic? Who will make the syrups? How do you coordinate the catering with the bar?

We handle all the details. Our approach is designed to take the complexity out of planning so you can simply enjoy your special occasion. From the first consultation where we map out your foraged elements to the moment the last botanical cocktail is served, we are there to ensure everything is perfect.

We specialize in crafting these unique, bespoke experiences throughout Hampshire and the New Forest. Whether it’s a vibrant outdoor festival or an intimate gathering, we bring the same level of artisanal care to every plate and glass. While we primarily focus on our world-class bar and catering services, we can also help you find the ideal entertainment or live music to provide that minor, perfect finishing touch to your atmosphere.

Ready to Taste the Forest?

Your next celebration deserves a menu that is as vibrant and alive as the New Forest itself. Why settle for the ordinary when you can have a bespoke, seasonal experience that your guests will rave about for years to come?

Are you ready to start planning your foraged feast? Whether you’re envisioning a vegan wedding or a milestone birthday with a botanical twist, we are here to make it happen. Get in touch with us today and let’s start crafting your perfect menu.

The forest is waiting; and it tastes delicious.

We provide a complete service encompassing:

• Highly Skilled Mixologists and Professional Service Staff: Ensuring expert preparation and elegant service for your guests.
• Fully Equipped Mobile Bar and Refrigeration: A self-contained and professionally presented beverage station.
• Bespoke Drinks Menu Featuring Locally Sourced Ingredients: Tailored to your preferences and showcasing the finest Hampshire beverages.
• Comprehensive Inventory of Premium Ingredients: Including all necessary components for your selected drinks.
• Elegant Glassware: Complementing the sophistication of your event.
• Professional-Grade Bar Equipment: Guaranteeing the highest standards of beverage preparation.
• Provision of Ice: Ensuring optimal chilling for all beverages.

Simply select your desired drinks from our locally inspired menu, and we will manage all logistical and operational aspects, allowing you to focus entirely on your guests and the success of your event. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.