Oh sorry, absolutely great the weekend, especially if you're fairly good on a bike so can go to different villages. Fastest if I remember is Waterloo-Southampton- brockenhurst/beaulieu road station. Avoid Lyndhurst, it's the most 'touristy' area.

For an anniversary I'd recommend a private entry room to enjoy the intimacy, NF famously rejected a gay couple from staying in their BnB and in general can be less customer focused compared to the city.

White Buck (or stag or something deer like) in Burley has private rooms you can access from outside and feels like ordering a suite. It's a fullers chain, but Burley is a tourist favourite, it's where the witches live and your best chances of horse riding is there. But Burleys the only village out that way, so that's your base.

Sandy balls is a 'caravan park' but has recently added some pukka glamping and huts for the cosy anniversary, and the quality of forest (old deciduous trees, rather than timber) is really great that end of the forest. Plus the site will have your wifi, bike hire, supplies shop and the normal stuff you take for granted in normal holiday destinations that isn't always that available in other stays in the NF.

The true NF experience for me would be a stay in the new sort of beach hut front style rooms at the Turfcutters in East bolder. It's an independent and a forester local favourite in a tiny but gorgeous village in east boldre, (I mean super tiny, like a pub, church, village hall and then just farms) I don't want the world to descend on it though so I'll delete this comment later if you don't mind. Londoners have a slightly hard time in the NF which isn't completely deserved but what is true is that you guys create a demand for accommodation that the forest just can't keep up with, so we never get to stay at our favourite places when we go back to stay to see old family and mates! Plus every time you say the pints are cheap the landlord puts the price up.