Intimate Wedding Inspiration - A Photoshoot by Katrina Bartlam
Written by Melissa
The Friday before your big day, can be an afternoon of games (Tennis, Croquet and Petanque) and fun before moving into a wonderful pre-wedding dinner. Just you and your loved ones staying with you in an enchanting country house. Indulge yourselves with some special time together in our beautiful and magical gardens & grounds.
Why not have an alfresco dinner on The Terrace in the Walled Garden, using our outside cooking area? Bring in a private chef who will cook using our large Egg BBQ and Kadai fire pit or perhaps you might just want to feast on Italian-style meats and tapas-style platters from our fantastic local deli Ceci Paolo. There is also Dom of @tastethegoodlife who can come and serve you freshly made woodfired pizzas from his converted horse box. We also have lots of fabulous wedding caterers, who we can tell you about to create the celebratory dinner you are imagining.
Your family and friends can chat and laugh, with a glass of fizz in hand and take in the beauty and magic of the lavender-scented Walled Garden with the statue of Pan at its centre.
Up to 24 of you can dine on The Terrace in the Walled Garden and get excited with the anticipation of your wedding day ahead, before retiring to their gorgeous bedroom in the house.
Wake up on the morning of your Wedding Day to the melodic sound of songbirds in the garden, gaze out at the rolling English countryside and immerse yourself in the truly magical atmosphere of Pauntley Court. Perhaps wander through the romantic gardens and start to get excited about the wonderful day ahead you!
Get ready in your sumptuous bedroom, surrounded by your loved ones, start to create those unforgettable memories, and take your time to take in the atmosphere of romance and history that exudes from Pauntley Court.
A day of love and laughter is ahead of you! Be pampered, styled, and totally spoilt by your make-up artist and hair stylist before putting on your wedding dress.
After your wedding ceremony, take time to absorb and enjoy the beauty of the intimate Wedding Breakfast created for you in our elegant Ballroom, just as you had envisioned and planned.
Walk with your wedding photographer through the incredible gardens at Pauntley Court and let your love be captured in this stunning scenic rural estate. Special memories captured in photos for you both to cherish forever.
Relax on the Sunday morning, come together with your loved ones staying with you at Pauntley Court and enjoy a long and slow delicious brunch.
Rachel, our amazing housekeeper (who lives on the estate), can spoil you, look after you and make sure that everything is perfect for you and your guests.
Chat, laugh and remember the special and unforgettable moments of your Wedding Day. Perhaps have a delicious grazing platter from @cotswoldplatterco and choose the many spaces at Pauntley, to enjoy this with your guests.
After a wonderful brunch, immerse yourselves in the enchanting garden rooms, walk down to the Old Mill Pond, and see the swans and their cygnets, play croquet or petanque or sit quietly in one of the many tranquil and enchanting garden rooms at Pauntley Court and reflect on your wedding weekend.
A three-day weekend of love, fun and romance can be celebrated on Sunday!
We are passionate about helping you create a weekend that reflects and embodies you and your dreams. We will work with to help you find the best suppliers and create unique elements for your weekend wedding experience.
Do get in touch with Melissa who will give you a personal viewing and take you around the house and garden and tell you all about the the colourful characters associated with Pauntley. Read our other blog for helpful tips on how to choose the perfect venue for your intimate wedding.
Thank you once again to this incredible team of suppliers, who worked tirelessly and with such passion, to capture this weekend of love so perfectly;
Photographer – Katrina Bartlam
Full list of suppliers as before
Photographer – Katrina Bartlam @katrinabartlam
Florist – Honeysuckle Flower co @honeysuckleflowerco
Stationery – Dot the I atelier @dotthei_atelier
Make up – Victoria Abbosh @victoria_abbosh
Hair – Lauren Gosling @laurengoslinghair
Friday terrace table linen – Yolke Girl @yolkegirl
Friday Terrace dress – Yolke Girl @yolkegirl
Friday terrace jewellery – Lynyer @lynyer
Saturday morning nightwear – If only If nightwear @ifonlyifnightwear
Wedding Dress – Savannah Miller
Wedding Dress Boutique – The White Room @thewhiteroomuk
Bridal accessories – Emilia Rae Bridal @emiliaraebridal
Groom outfit – Regency Groom Bishops Cleeve @regencygroombishopscleeve
Model – Jessica Dessica - @jessica_dessica
Wedding breakfast Tableware – Alba tableware @alba.tableware
Friday terrace Catering - Ceci Paolo @cecipaoloshop
Sunday brunch catering – The Cotswold Platter Co@thecotswoldplatterco
Sunday brunch styling – Tusk @tusk_collection
Three Day Wedding Experience gallery
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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