Aaron and Tatum had an American wedding planner who took care of all the logistics for the wedding for the couple and worked closely with us at Pauntley Court to ensure the seamless running of the wedding weekend. They chose our recommended suppliers and asked for advice and support from our wedding coordinator, Rebecca.
We asked Annie, their wedding planner, a few questions about her experience on planning a wedding overseas and how she experienced how we run things here in the UK compared to America.
Q1: What made you decide on an English wedding over a Texas wedding for Aaron & Tatum?
- Tatum knew she wanted a smaller, intimate destination wedding. Once they started looking at venues, they were drawn to many in the England Countryside which is how they decided on Pauntley. They had 80+ venues on their list and they thoroughly researched each one before finding the perfect location for them!
Q2: What made your weekend so special at Pauntley?
- Where do I begin? For starters, the venue itself is beautiful and nothing like what we have back home. The creativity you can have onsite - every wedding using the space a little differently, so each weekend is unique to the couple and their vision - is a one-of-a-kind experience. Melissa and Rachel were so helpful throughout the weekend as well and truly cared for each person in the house - it is rare to see venue owners so involved but Melissa was on top of everything and always had a big smile on her face! Everyone we interacted with throughout the weekend made us feel at home and treated us all with so much love and respect, which truly made our weekend at Pauntley perfect.
Q3: What American traditions did you follow here in the UK?
- The couple had one focus in mind for their wedding weekend - to relax and enjoy time with their friends without a lot of "formalities" on the wedding day. With that being said, we did not bring too many traditions over to the UK, but I did notice that we structure our days a bit differently in the States! For example, before dinner begins, we typically have a grand introduction of the couple and their wedding party, followed by a first dance and a thank you from the parents of the bride to the guests. To keep things in line with the intimacy of the wedding day, Aaron and Tatum opted for a private first dance after the ceremony where they got to take time away from their guests and dance to their song while the guests enjoyed cocktails and hor d'oeuvres (what we call Cocktail Hour in America).
- Following dinner, we typically have toasts from the Best Man and Maid of Honor, followed by parent dances, and then cake cutting which is typically the last formality before the party starts! We did change up the order a bit so that the timeline ran smoother for the couple and vendors but stuck to the standard American wedding structure for the most part!
- I am not sure if this is an American tradition, but it is very common to have a "unity ceremony" during an American wedding ceremony – for example, using candles, sand, paint, and branding, to create the symbol of uniting the two families together. Aaron and Tatum used sand as their symbol of unity. How this works is we set up two different colours of sand on a table by the altar. During the procession, the mom of the bride and the mom of the groom will pour their representee-coloured sand into two smaller, separate vases (Tatum's sand colour was white, Aaron's was grey). In the ceremony, the bride and groom will each combine the two therefore uniting the families as one. It is such a beautiful moment that allows so many couples to get creative!
Q4: What would your top tips be for an American couple on their wedding day?
- Of course, my number one tip to all couples is to hire a wedding planner so they can take the stress off the family and couple on the wedding day! We make it a point to be so incredibly detailed prior to the wedding day so that we don't have any questions for the family during the weekend. This day won't come twice, so why would you want to spend it stressing about the small details, confirming with vendors or setting anything up? A lot of times couples will have a family member be their "day of coordinator", but we want moms, aunts, dads, sisters, etc. to enjoy the day as much as the couple!
- For any American getting married in the UK - my biggest tip is to visit the venue beforehand if you have the means to do so. This will help a lot to visualize how the wedding day will run, meet the venue owners, and feel more at peace during the planning process. Another tip would be to arrive a few days early and take a mini "vacation" before your wedding so that you can recover from jetlag and relax before your big day!
- For all couples, make sure you spend time together on the wedding day. It sounds crazy, but everything goes by so fast, and you each want to talk to your friends and family, but make sure you do this together. I've heard so many couples tell me that they have completely different memories from their wedding day because they didn't make it a point to spend time together. But this day is about you and your partner - so step away from your guests for a bit and take in the fact that you are married now! Enjoy every moment together throughout the evening so you can share the same memories in the future.
Q5 : Did you find working with all English suppliers on the day an easy transition?
- I cannot even begin to explain how much I loved working with the vendors on the wedding weekend. We had an absolute DREAM TEAM! I'm not going to lie; it was a bit scary going into the wedding weekend not knowing any of the vendors prior (in America - we have some wonderful vendors but there are also plenty you have to hold their hand and triple check every detail if they are new in the industry). Since I wasn't aware of how vendors worked in the UK, I was very detailed(and probably a bit annoying at times! Haha!) but I wanted to make sure it was perfect for the couple. Once the weekend was here, every single vendor went above and beyond for the couple. For example, I have never once had a hair and makeup artist wait until the bride was in her dress to do touch-ups and make sure nothing was out of place. All my fears or worries went out the window the minute I met the vendors in person.
Q6: Did you find the communication between yourself and suppliers easy?
- Obviously due to the time difference and all communication being over email at times made the communication more challenging but the Pauntley Court team were always very responsive and soon enough we were on track. Sometimes weddings work a little differently in the states, so at times I was googling a lot of words and phrases since I had never heard of them! For example, in Texas we call plates, bowls, etc. "China" or "Dishware" - well in the UK it is referred to as "Crockery" – At this point I had to turn to Google! Once I got past that hurdle and started understanding the lingo, it was much easier. It was challenging but overall, a fun rewarding experience to be a part of!
Q7: What was your favourite part of the weekend at Pauntley?
- I don't know if I can choose just one! The whole weekend was so incredible and everyone I met was a joy to be around. I mentioned it earlier, but I love that each wedding at Pauntley is completely unique and that you get the entire weekend with your friends and family. If I had to choose, my favourite part of the weekend was experiencing and learning how UK weddings are typically structured. I have mentioned it before, but the vendors went above and beyond to make this weekend the wedding of Aaron and Tatum's dreams...and they did just that! It was so beautiful to see every vendor treating the couple as if they were the only clients they had.
- THAT is what makes the wedding industry so special, and you really don't see it often enough, especially during busy season. At the end of the day, it may be "just another wedding" for many vendors but it is likely the biggest day of the couple's life so far...something they have been planning for over a year, so it is beautiful to see a team of vendors come together and treat each wedding as if it is their only one.
Q8: Did you manage to enjoy the wedding as a planner over the weekend?
- Absolutely! This was my first time planning a wedding overseas, as well as being a guest and a planner at a wedding. Even though I was a guest, I found myself talking with the vendors most of the evening and learning all about England's wedding traditions. Melissa, Rebecca, and Rachel also made my role so much easier as they were always there to help and answer questions I had about the venue, the sound system, etc. It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of and I cannot wait to have another wedding in the UK!!
If you are thinking of planning a wedding from abroad, we can help with all the logistics for your wedding day and bring your vision to life. Creating a memorable, relaxed family gathering at Pauntley Court.
We wish Aaron and Tatum all the love in their new life together and we were overjoyed they chose Pauntley Court as their wedding venue.
With thanks to,
Suppliers:
Wedding Planner: Annie Norrell ( based in Fort Worth, Dallas)
Website https://cmpromotions.co
Email address: annie@cmpromotions.co
Photographer: David Liebst www.davidliebstphotography.com
Videographer: Adam Lyduch https://adamlyduch.com
Caterers: Charlotte Gardner www.charlottegcatering.com
Bar: Watering Hole www.thewateringholeeventbars.co.uk
Florist: Honeysuckle Flowerswww.honeysuckleflower.co.uk
String Quartet: Capriccio Quartet www.capriccioquartet.co.uk
Stylist: Beth from Alba Table Ware www.albatableware.co.uk
Cake: Beth from Cake Box www.cakeboxofficial.co.uk
Garden Games/Crazy Golf: Birdie Club www.thebirdieclub.co.uk
MUA/Hair: Genevieve Turley and Team www.gturleymua.com
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