A Real September Wedding - Grace and Jamie's Magical Midweek Wedding
Written by Melissa
A beautiful micro church wedding with family and friends staying together, enjoying the house and gardens here at Pauntley Court this year.
All photos were taken by the brilliant James Fear https://www.fearphotography.com
“It was such a magical day and the weather was absolutely beautiful, our guests are still talking about it.
The wedding was truly a family effort and very personal to us.”
After a turbulent couple of years, it has been an absolute joy to be able to host love stories at Pauntley Court once again. We’re over the moon to be able to share Grace and Jamie’s very special midweek wedding with you – the couple said, ‘I Do’ on Wednesday 8th September 2021 in the wonderful Norman church just next door to Pauntley Court surrounded by their closest friends and family.
Grace and Jamie’s wedding finally took place after being postponed, not once, but three times due to the various lockdowns, restrictions and covid-secure venue ruling. “We were originally supposed to get married at Great Witley Church and then have 80 guests for a wedding reception at Grace’s parent’s house in a marquee,” Jamie explains. “Due to the uncertainty of it all and because we had 5 elderly grandparents attending, we eventually decided that a micro wedding would be the best option. We instantly knew Pauntley Court would be the safest and perfect option for us. We fell in love with Pauntley when we first went to see it in 2018. We were the first engaged couple to view Pauntley as a potential wedding venue!”
Grace and Jamie visited the Pauntley Church six times prior to their wedding there and so enjoyed getting to know the friendly and welcoming church community over the months in the run-up to their September wedding.
Pauntley Court offers a three-day experience, so the celebrations began the day before their wedding, with close family members decorating the venue and our nearby church. Once everything was set up, Grace and Jamie enjoyed an evening in the Flower Room, having fish & chips delivered by The Tudor Fish & Chip shop in Newent. “The Flower Room is a fantastic space to eat in and it also has a bar in the corner which is great for parties. It felt amazing to all be able to eat and socialise together the night before the wedding, and for Jamie and myself, it was such a relief that it could even go ahead! The fact that our close friends and family could stay together at Pauntley was amazing and definitely helped add to the atmosphere,” Grace says.
“We chose Pauntley Court for so many reasons. Firstly, the venue is simply stunning. The house is beautiful, as are the gardens, and it offers fantastic views across the wider rural landscape. Another reason we both love Pauntley is because we both have a background in heritage, and the history behind the house really connected with us.”
It was also important to Grace and Jamie that their immediate family members could stay the night before and the night of the wedding, adding to the intimacy of the occasion. They also wanted a church wedding and loved the fact that our Parish Church is literally next door to the venue so Grace could get ready in the morning and then walk across the to the church with her father feeling relaxed and excited.
Grace and her bridal party got ready on the morning of the wedding in the Owl & Pussycat room. The bride wore an elegant white robe while her bridesmaids and mum wore floral cream and green robes, enjoying a delicious spread of pastries and fruit. Jamie and his groomsmen got ready in the Elinor Fettiplace living room, which meant he could also meet and greet the suppliers and guests as they arrived.
The wedding party were able to have a relaxed breakfast in the main house kitchen on the morning of the wedding. Grace had organised pastries and coffees so everyone could help themselves and chat and catch up before the big day began.
The bride looked utterly beautiful, wearing her hair in a loose bun with curls framing her face and three delicate pearl hair clips. Grace wore a vintage diamond necklace that Jamie had bought her as a wedding present, as well as pearl earrings that her mum had bought her. For Grace’s ‘Something Borrowed’, she wore her mum’s 1920s cream vintage beaded bag for the wedding. This crafty couple made the bouquets themselves, using cream and pink roses.
The six bridesmaids looked lovely in dusky pink and gold gowns, each individually chosen so that each member of the bridal party felt comfortable and confident in an outfit that suited their shape and style. They also wore matching pearl hair clips and earrings which looked gorgeous with their gowns. The groom and his groomsmen donned champagne-coloured ties to compliment the bridesmaid gowns, paired with stylish dark blue suits. The entire morning was very laidback, and the couple were just so excited that their big day had finally arrived.
Jamie’s mum and older sister decorated the church aisle with bunches of gypsophila and asparagus fern – they thought the church was so beautiful that it didn’t need too much in terms of décor. “Every second of the day was magical, but our favourite part of the day was saying our vows in Pauntley Church. Our wedding day was 15 months after our original date, so we were just so relieved and excited to finally be married. It was so nice to all finally be together after spending so many months apart due to coronavirus. Some of us hadn’t seen each other for a year and a half. The whole day was just full of love and laughter, and you could really feel the happiness.”
After the church ceremony, the couple and their 22 guests strolled the short distance back through the main gates and down the drive, with the Dovecote and apple orchard on either side, to the stretched tent, which was decorated with fairy lights, handmade bunting, fresh flowers and golden candle holders. They were spoilt with gorgeous sunshine and so were able to enjoy an outdoor drinks reception.
For their wedding breakfast, guests gathered in the Ballroom. It was decorated with cut glass and gold vases that had been collected over the last few years, with vintage side plates and tea sets. Grace’s sister made dark chocolate brownies, layered with ruby chocolate, and freeze-dried raspberries for wedding favours offered in cute individual boxes with a green decorative wreath around their names. Charlotte Gardner Catering was on hand to provide a delicious feast for everyone to tuck into, while The Old Dough Hook provided traditional wood-fired pizzas from his 1970s Citroen H Van for their evening food.
The first dance took place under the stretched tent, with Kringo Blue (an acoustic singer) playing, ‘Is this love?’ by Bob Marley. Grace and Jamie then used our PA system to play their own evening music to dance to, with a relaxed vibe and plenty of dancing. The couple moved the party inside, having decorated the Flower Room with extra lights and a string of memorable photographs while setting up a photo booth for friends and family to enjoy. Grace and Jamie also had a games table set up near the stretched tent, featuring tin cans, Jenga and boules – which everyone loved playing throughout the day. It really was a celebration to remember!
From the team at Pauntley Court, it was a sheer pleasure to host their love story at our beloved family home and wedding venue in the Cotswolds.
Grace & Jamie’s wedding day advice…
“Your wedding day will go so quickly, make sure to check in with each other and take in all the special moments. We snuck off early and went to the Owl and Pussycat Room to open all of our cards. It was really nice spending that time together before we went to bed.”
Fish and Chips (Tuesday night) The Tudor Fish & Chip Shop @tudorfishandchipshop
Church – Church of St John the Evangelist, Pauntley
Wedding Co-ordinator – Weddings & Social media Co. @theweddingsocialandco
Bar – Peggy Sue’s Mobile Bars @peggysues_worcester
Acoustic Artist – Kringo Blue @kringoblue
Photographer – James Fear Photography @jamesfearphotography
Videographers – Surefooted Media @surefootedmedia
Daytime Cater – Charlotte Gardner Catering @charlottegardnercatering
Evening Cater –The Old Dough Book Pizza Co @theolddoughhook
Hair – Beautiful Hair @beautifulhair_bh
Makeup – Pep Makeup Artistry @pep_makeup
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Having recently visited Pauntley for our first wedding anniversary, I was reminded just how magical a place it is.
James and I celebrated our marriage with our closest family and friends over three days in August 2024. Spending both the night before and day after our wedding with our nearest and dearest only enhanced our celebrations; Pauntley’s beautiful bedrooms and cosy communal areas greatly facilitate being able to have all of those you love in one place for an extended period. Waking up in the bridal suite greatly reduced the stress on the wedding morning; the Elinor Fettiplace was the perfect setting for bridal preparations.
We knew it was the venue for us when we walked into the ballroom on our first viewing and I burst out crying (happy tears); those tears were present again when I walked down the aisle (ironically outside) the following Summer.
Everything about Pauntley makes it the picture perfect venue - from the indoor furnishings to the beautiful gardens outside. A special touch are the beautiful flowers that Melissa's mother (the flower fairy!) collects from the gardens and arranges in the communal areas and bedrooms; she even treated our guests to a tour of the grounds on the Sunday.
We took full use of all of the spaces - firstly by hosting a grazing table, English sparkling wine and real ale welcome supper in The Flower Room on the Friday, complete with “s’mores” for our flower girls and page boys on Pauntley’s fire pit. On the day itself we had welcome drinks under the stretch tent; said “I do” alongside a string quartet amongst the quince trees; enjoyed canapés, fizz and acoustic music in the sunken garden; had our cake cutting, wedding breakfast and speeches under the hornbeam arches (complete with Melissa’s chandeliers!); took photos down by the boathouse; poured our champagne tower in front of the beautiful staircase and danced the night away with our band in the ballroom before collapsing in front of the fire in the main sitting room after our “light stick” exit in the courtyard. The morning after the night before was spent preparing for our send off BBQ on the terrace.
The stunning setting is only complimented by Pauntley’s true highlight: its team. Melissa could not have been more friendly and helpful from the first time we met her until our wedding weekend itself (and beyond!). The list of recommended suppliers provided was especially helpful given I had no knowledge of local hairdressers, make-up artists, florists, caterers, etc; all of the vendors that we chose were wonderful. Our wedding coordinator, Mel, put this type A bride to shame with her efficiency and organisational skills, all delivered with a smile and a wealth of industry knowledge. A special mention to Pauntley’s head housekeeper Rachel who took excellent care of us and our guests throughout with delicious breakfasts and a yummy BBQ on the Sunday. The whole team are warm, welcoming and ensure that you never feel like just another couple; they are all truly invested in making your wedding day the best it possibly can be.
As we are London based, we chose to stay on the Thursday and Sunday nights and I would highly recommend that option to future couples. Being there the night before - just the two of us - allowed us to sort various Waitrose / butcher / crockery deliveries and get ready before our friends and family descended for our welcome supper the following day. Equally, we enjoyed strolling around the gardens as husband and wife on the Sunday after everyone had left; an opportunity to reminisce on the best weekend of our lives in truly beautiful surroundings. We struggled to leave on the Monday morning!
We couldn’t recommend Pauntley enough and can’t wait to visit again on our second anniversary next year.
Thank you Melissa, Mel and Rachel for everything.
Image by Siobhan Beales Photography