A Small Wedding for 15 people

Written by Melissa


Pauntley Court is a warm and welcoming family home, set in stunning formal gardens and surrounded by the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside. The house oozes character, atmosphere and a cosy intimacy, perfect for a micro wedding. You will have exclusive hire of the main house, wing and The Dovecote accommodating you and your loved ones in 10 individually designed bedrooms. You can enjoy 2 nights and 3 days with your close family and friends, extending your celebrations, allowing time to create special and unforgettable memories.

You can choose from a small church ceremony in the normal church next door or a civil ceremony in the elegant Ballroom or charming Panelled Room. There are numerous spaces for your intimate wedding reception such as one of the many 'garden rooms' or under our fabulous Tentickle stretch tent.

We have been delighted to see so many couples adapt and overcome the challenges of covid-19, going ahead with wonderful, unique and intimate weddings for 15 people, demonstrating that true love can and will conquer all.

We would like to walk you through the wonder and beauty of our most recent wedding of 15 (or as we like to call it - a Covid ‘Clever’ Wedding).

The lead up to Grant and Carole's wedding

Grant and Carole checked into the Bridal Suite, Elinor Fettiplace, on the Thursday before their wedding weekend. They enjoyed a cosy evening in front of the glowing wood burner, finalising the exciting few days that lay ahead, before their close family and friend's arrival the following morning.

Leading up to the big day...

Meeting Melissa in the ballroom on Friday morning, Grant and Carole were able to go through the final details for their wedding breakfast before everyone was about to arrive at midday.

Grant and Carole had already specifically chosen the bedrooms for their guests and so were able to place personalised gift bags in each bedroom before their arrival.

Melissa's mother even came up to play her cello so Grant and Carole could be sure the professional cellist could be heard from outside the ballroom during their ceremony the next day!

The Morning of the Wedding

The excitement was building for the day as Carole and her mother began to get ready after fresh coffee and a cooked breakfast by our amazing housekeeper, Rachel.

The sun was shining as Carole came out and met her father in the courtyard.

Following the guidelines, the family and friends were perfectly spaced in our elegant Ballroom eagerly awaiting Carole's arrival.

The intimate ceremony felt warm and personal in our beautiful Ballroom. The two gorgeous urns by @louisejamesflorist perfectly framed the open doors with views onto the Gloucestershire countryside.

After the ceremony, the guests wandered out into the exquisite formal gardens to have drinks and canapés under the Tentickle stretch tent. The photographer, David Liebst, was able to perfectly capture the happy couple in both the beautiful spaces inside the house and of course in the magical formal gardens.

All afternoon the couple and their family and friends spent time chatting, laughing and enjoying the intimacy and gorgeous scenery, before returning to the ballroom for their wedding breakfast.

Testimonial

"Melissa and her team went above and beyond to ensure everything went smoothly under these unusual circumstances"

"Together with the surrounding countryside, they make the perfect setting for a wedding and have resulted in some wonderful wedding photos!"

"All that is left to say is that you would be hard-pressed to find a better venue for a small, intimate wedding and reception"

If you would like to find out more about a small wedding at Pauntley Court, please click here to contact Melissa.

 

Photographs by David Liebst https://www.davidliebstphotography.com/

Flowers by Louise James Florist www.louisejamesflorist.co.uk

Hair and MUA by Clare Bryce www.purepampering.co.uk/



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I cannot praise Melissa, her team and Pauntley Court (PC) enough.
We were looking for venues for a whole year before we came across Pauntley Court and my gosh it was so unique.
From the very first video call with Melissa, PC just stood out. For one it is the most unique and magical place we've visited but also how wonderful Melissa was. On the initial call we were so taken with how bubbly Melissa was but also how nothing seemed too much trouble. This definitely continued throughout the entire wedding planning and on the weekend itself. Melissa would make herself available for any question we had (measuring the stretch tent, finding us an outdoor tap) - nothing seemed to phase her and she was open to anything - exactly what we were looking for in a wedding venue.
Now onto PC itself - I don't really think words can do it justice. The venue is simply stunning, every corner you turn there is something else to grab at your heart and pull you to the venue.
We also adored how you had use of the venue from 12pm on the Friday until 4pm on the Sunday. It meant we could have a rehearsal on the Friday, steam all the clothing, unpack and join our wedding party for drinks and a BBQ in the lavender garden on the Friday night. While Sunday enabled us to have a leisurely start while also reliving all the memories from the last night over breakfast with our friends.
Particular loves go to:
- the grounds - mentioned in reviews time and time again but they are just gorgeous
- the ability to have your legal ceremony in multiple locations and for a non-legal wedding you have access to the whole site
- Rebecca - the best co-ordinator ever - having access to Rebecca for the day (and calls leading up to the day) really helped with the last minute panics / helped the day run smoothly
- Rachel - the most wonderful housekeeper - keeping the food flowing on the Friday and for breakfasts. She ran a very tight ship and it enabled us to just relax knowing everything was handled.
- the beautiful ballroom - this was such a fantastic place to get ready with my bridesmaids but also hold an unforgettable ceilidh
- the cupid club - a new addition but great to keep the party going
- the lake house - makes a wonderful first look location or photo setting and with the water is such a calming space
I could honestly keep singing PC's praises and hope I can visit again in some form!

 

Image by Red Maple Photography

- Gabby & Freddie - June 2025