An Intimate Autumn Wedding
Written by Melissa Hargreaves
Cosy and cuddly winter months lie ahead of us! I wanted to share Owen and Sarah Jane’s beautiful and inspiring October intimate wedding for thirty-four guests. Their fantastic photographer, Sophie Louise Photography, captured all the very special moments of their romantic, elegant and unique day, perfectly.
As a mid-week wedding, our couple and their families arrived on the Tuesday afternoon to settle in and enjoy the wonderful house and our stunning gardens, before their big day. Many beautiful flowers tumbled out of their car, followed by a spectacular handmade wedding cake to be reckoned with! Both the flower arrangements and the cake were artfully created by Sarah Jane’s family, giving those elements a very joyful and personal touch.
Sarah Jane chose the quirky 15th Century Dovecote, as her bridal, calm retreat to prepare herself for the Wednesday morning of her wedding. Surrounded by her close friends, her wedding build-up was an incredibly relaxed and intimate part of her special day. The bridal suite bedroom on the top floor of the Dovecote, has a truly ‘Rapunzel-like’ fairy-tale atmosphere, with its far reaching, panoramic views over the glorious Gloucestershire countryside.
Meanwhile Owen and his ushers, togged up to the nines and dashingly handsome, gathered in the Main House, super excited for the day’s events to unfold. A happy band of men!
Rebecca, our amazing Wedding Co-ordinator, worked her magic in perfectly setting up the Civil Ceremony in the sun-filled ballroom. Everything went like clockwork and with military precision! Owen met with the registrars, while Sarah Jane serenely glided over to join her father for some memory-making photographs on the balustraded main stairway with frescoed high ceiling.
After a very happy confetti throw in the Main House courtyard, guests wandered out to the gardens and mingled amongst the Autumnal golden colours of the quince orchard while the soft melodic sounds of the talented harpist, Hannah drifted through the garden rooms. The joyous atmosphere pervaded throughout the gardens, with the happy hum of chat and laughter under the stretch tent for drinks and nibbles. Windows of activity between the hornbeam arches, captured the croquet mallets aloft, all watched over by the old walnut tree! A very magical and enchanting scene.
Warm, rich terracottas, and earthy tones, designed by the bride and groom, set the cornicing and the pillars off in the ballroom beautifully, making their wedding breakfast, one of kind. The long banqueting tables were laid by our very special caterer Charlotte Gardner and her team and the dynamic Watering Hole Event Bars provided elegant cut glassware to serve the drinks in. We absolutely loved the burnt oranges, neutrals of the urns and the dried flowers and dusky terracotta candles - it really created a very bespoke and exotic feel to this space.
Jake, our extraordinarily brilliant barman from the Watering Hole Event Bars, looked after Owen and Sarah Jane and their guests all day until midnight. The funky bar in the panelled room was a glamorous affair and there were delightfully divine cocktails all laid out in formation on the Flower Room tables outside.
In front of the courtyard gates, The Fire Pit was a glowing hub of happiness, where guests could enjoy a cocktail, before going back inside to gather around the roaring fireplace in the panelled room and bar.
The DJ, Ian Possee, illuminated The Ballroom, transforming it from a sophisticated dining room into a groovy dance floor and party room! After the first dance, the party really got going with family and friends dancing the night away….
What a day to remember! A romantic and beautiful October wedding day, like no other.
(Thank you to Sophie Louise for use of the fantastic photos.)
The amazing team of suppliers chosen by Owen and Sarah Jane, were;
< Previous blog Next blog >
We loved how unique Pauntley was compared to other venues. It really is like no other. It was the closest we felt we could get to a Tuscany-style wedding in the UK. Magical. So beautifully kept and somewhere you just don’t want to leave. We felt so lucky to have found somewhere that felt so different and special. It was a perfect size for our smaller wedding group – not too big with cosier spaces that made it easier to ensure everyone stayed together. The standard of accommodation was beautiful. It didn’t feel like a wedding venue but instead simply a beautiful place to stay. We would love to stay again!
The outside spaces at Pauntley Court were like no other. The unique spot for an aisle under the quince trees really sold it for us. We were praying our little hearts out that it wouldn’t rain so we could get married there.
The support from our wedding co-ordinator, Rebecca, was excellent. All my questions were answered and she was always on hand right up to and on the day. I felt at ease and it all went perfectly.
I can only praise how happy we were with everything and how grateful we were to be able to include Huxley on our day.