An Intimate Church Wedding in the Cotswolds: A Bespoke Three-Day Country House Experience at Pauntley Court.

Follow behind the scenes at our most recent editorial shoot, captured in full by the talented Luke Cummins Photography. These beautiful photographs offer you an intimate portrait of how your three-day luxury wedding at this family-owned country estate can truly be. Pauntley Court has an innate natural beauty and magical atmosphere all of its own, so it does not require you to have to ‘dress it up’ to turn it into something ‘extraordinary’ and personal to you.

The Estate: Exclusively Yours for the Entire Weekend

Pauntley Court offers something increasingly rare in the world of luxury weddings: complete, uninterrupted exclusivity. When you book Pauntley, you are not sharing your weekend with strangers. Pauntley is a private, unique and tranquil haven, hidden away in the glorious Gloucestershire countryside. The entire property; the Main House with its ten individually styled luxury bedrooms, the gardens, the grounds, and the private Norman church next door, is yours and yours alone from the Friday morning through to the Sunday afternoon.

This is the foundation of the three-day weekend experience we offer: arrival and welcome drinks on the Friday evening; your intimate church wedding ceremony and celebration on Saturday; and a leisurely Sunday morning brunch before farewells. For couples who value privacy, presence, and the feeling of a house celebration amongst their closest family and friends, there is simply nothing quite like it in the Cotswolds.

St John the Evangelist: A ‘Private’ Norman Church Like No Other

Steps from the front door of the Main House stands St John the Evangelist, an extraordinary Norman church and one of the most distinctive features of any wedding venue in Gloucestershire. What makes it uniquely suited to the intimate luxury wedding is its rare capacity for scale: while the church can accommodate up to 100 guests, it retains an atmosphere of complete intimacy for ceremonies of just 16 or 20. The ancient stone walls,  aged oak pews and the light that falls through the exquisite stained-glass windows create a setting and atmosphere of profound and quiet history.

While the groom waits patiently in the Church, the bells of the church herald the imminent arrival of the bride, who walks up the main drive to the church entrance porch with the person giving them away. It is a magical moment, and an unforgettable memory.  

If a full-blown church ceremony is not quite what you want but still wish to have all of the beauty and enchantment the Norman Church provides; why not choose to have a Blessing with all of your friends and family. You can still have the bells and an organist, without having the formal religious commitment of a wedding ceremony.  

For this shoot, the church was transformed by the immensely talented Sabine Darrall  and her team of florists, working exclusively with British-grown, seasonal flowers, many sourced from The Pauntley Flower Hub, which is situated at the top of the drive. The result was a floral scheme of romantic grandeur: a dramatic archway framing the church entrance, and lush arrangements that filled the nave with colour and texture.

A note on sustainability: in a thoughtful nod to considered luxury, the floral arrangements were designed to be repurposed throughout the day. The church archway was relocated to frame the entrance to the stretch tent for the wedding breakfast; the indoor posies were gathered into vases for the tables; and each bouquet was gifted to guests to take home at the close of the evening. Beautiful, and beautifully considered.

Getting Ready in Style: The Luxury Bedrooms at Pauntley Court

The morning of a wedding at Pauntley Court is one of the most quietly magical chapters of your weekend wedding. With ten individually decorated bedrooms across the Main House, wing and 16^th century Dovecote, each with its own distinct character and name, there is time and ample space for the wedding party to prepare in comfort and style.

For this shoot, our model bride prepared in the newly appointed Owl and Pussycat Room, its freshly painted walls and charming details providing a beautiful backdrop for her getting-ready portraits. The groom, meanwhile, dressed in the wing, Elinor Fettiplace and had portraits in the grand Panelled Room with its rich oak panelling lending an air of timeless, understated elegance to the occasion.

The Grounds: Portrait Locations Worthy of a Fine Art Wedding Album

Pauntley Court rewards the photographer's eye at every turn. The house and gardens offer an extraordinary breadth of portrait settings — from the formal gardens and romantic wildflower meadows to the grandeur of the Main Hall, where a sweeping staircase was dressed with a sensational floral installation for this shoot.

For couples who wish to arrive in style, though the church is so close that no transport is required, a classic car gliding up the private drive makes for a moment (and a photograph) that is simply timeless. Our couple needed no persuasion.

The Wedding Breakfast: Under Canvas or in the Ballroom

Pauntley Court offers exceptional settings for your wedding breakfast, each with its own distinct atmosphere and the flexibility to choose between them means no couple is ever at the mercy of the British weather.

The Tentickle Stretch Tent is positioned within the gardens and was dressed with silver birch around its wooden poles; come rain or shine, it is a wonderful place to gather for drinks and canapes.  It also offers an ethereal setting on a fine Cotswolds evening with breathtaking views down to the lake and boathouse and beyond. For this shoot, the circular tables were dressed by Beth of Alba Tableware  with the most exquisite linen tablecloths and gorgeous tableware, creating a tablescape of quiet, effortless elegance. The floral archway, relocated from the church, framed the pillared entrance.

The Ballroom: for cooler days and candlelit evenings, the Pauntley Court Ballroom is a magnificent space for a seated wedding breakfast for up to 40.  Its proportions generous, its atmosphere warm and celebratory.

Begin Planning Your Bespoke Cotswolds Wedding

Pauntley Court welcomes a limited number of weddings each year, ensuring that every couple receives the full attention and care their day deserves. If you are seeking an exclusive use Cotswolds wedding venue with a private church, luxury accommodation and breathtaking natural beauty — we would love to hear from you.

To arrange a private viewing of the estate or to discuss your wedding vision, please contact us directly at hello@pauntleycourt.com