Six helpful tips on how to choose the perfect venue for your intimate wedding.
Written by Melissa
Header image by Creative Depictions
Planning an intimate wedding is an exciting journey to embark on with your partner. A smaller more intimate affair is just as romantic and unique as the larger wedding but with more time to spend with your loved ones, making your special event more atmospheric and personal. Budget-wise, you will have more flexibility to spend on the finer, more spoiling details too.
There are many decisions that you will need to make in finding the perfect wedding venue for your Intimate wedding. With so many wonderful venues to choose from across the country, from a gorgeous country house venue such as Pauntley Court to a showstopping castle or a rustic barn, it can feel overwhelming at the start.
Pauntley Court is a private and unique exclusive-use venue, ‘Grand in nature, intimate by design’ and so perfect for a smaller wedding. From as small as just the 2 of you for an Elopement, all the way up to a maximum of 40 guests. You and your partner can choose to marry either in the beautiful Norman church next door or in one of the six outdoor licensed garden rooms or two indoor licensed rooms inside the house. With ten wonderfully luxurious bedrooms on site, this stunning country house will comfortably sleep both of you and your 22 family members and close friends, for three days and two nights. You can then invite up to another 16 family and friends for your Wedding Day. We have a fantastic Pauntley Team who will ensure that you create the intimate wedding of your dreams!
"If you are looking for an intimate wedding venue, I don’t think you can do better than the location and the team at Pauntley Court. The setting is superb, highly photogenic inside and out, and an amazing place to spend a few days. The attention to detail in the house is outstanding, whether in the formal rooms or the kitchen, where we found everything could possibly need (and a lot more!). From the outset we were extremely well looked after by Melissa and the team, and I can honestly say that I can’t think of any aspect of our wedding that could have gone better. We already want to come back to celebrate our anniversary!”
The Groom – Nic
April 2024 Wedding- a Petite wedding of 24 people
1. Your wedding location
Often people will choose a rough location before looking into specific venues. There are many things to consider when choosing a location for your intimate wedding. It could be an important location for you as a couple, easily accessible for guests or perhaps stress-free links to the airport for your honeymoon. As an intimate wedding venue in the Cotswolds, we cannot stress enough the breathtaking beauty of the Gloucestershire countryside that surrounds us. Couples from all over the world have chosen to get married at Pauntley Court, often for our proximity to the Cotswolds and the privacy and tranquillity as a hidden away hamlet that Pauntley’s location affords.
2. What type of venue atmosphere are you looking for?
3. View your potential wedding venues
We suggest viewing as many potential venues as you can during your decision-making process. It can be difficult to really get the true feeling for a venue through photos alone. Many venues will also have wedding open days.
At Pauntley Court, as it is a family home, Melissa loves to meet you and take you on a personal tour with her around the house and gardens. You can book a viewing HERE or email Melissa directly.
We have many beautiful images taken by many talented photographers, and these still cannot compare to seeing this wonderful house and experiencing the magic of the gardens and grounds in person. The number of couples that we have done viewings with, who have fallen in love with the charm, atmosphere, and individuality of Pauntley Court, means that making an effort to come and meet Melissa and have an in-person viewing is one of our top recommendations. Melissa is passionate about Pauntley and she will tell you about all the exceptionally special spaces you can use over your three-day weekend here.
4. What questions to ask when choosing a wedding venue
There are many questions you will want to ask when you visit a wedding venue. You will need to know about capacity, available dates, pricing, and nearby accommodation. You will also need to know who will be your venue contact during the planning phases and it can be worth asking if the venue has suggested photographers or a preferred supplier list.
At Pauntley Court, we have an amazing team of Wedding Coordinators as well as a brilliant housekeeper, Rachel, who you can ask to help you at any point over your weekend stay. Melissa will be able to answer all your questions when you come and visit and absorb the wonderful friendly and warm atmosphere that pervades this fairy-tale-like place.
We do have a preferred list of fantastic caterers for your intimate wedding breakfast and also a preferred bar supplier if your wedding is 32-40 people. Otherwise, if you are having a wedding party of less than 24 people, you can bring your alcohol at no extra charge.
5. What type of marriage ceremony would you like to have?
Decide with your partner whether you would like a church, civil or celebrant-led wedding. At Pauntley Court, all three ways for your ceremony are possible.
With the Norman church, just next door to Pauntley Court, a church wedding is very special. The bells can be heard on the morning of your wedding and you can walk up to the church with your bridesmaids. For an intimate wedding, St John the Evangelist is not too large a church, so your church wedding ceremony feels very personal.
For a civil ceremony, we have the Panelled room and the Ballroom as inside licensed spaces and there are six beautiful outside licensed spaces in the gorgeous gardens.
Choosing a celebrant-led ceremony means you are free to marry anywhere at the Pauntley Court estate, even down by the lake, where the swans might just make an appearance!
6. Do you require a venue with accommodation on site?
Having accommodation available at your chosen venue can help the day run as smoothly as possible for both you and your guests. If your venue offers on-site accommodation or has list of local air bnb’s and hotels, it can alleviate stress and logistical challenges associated with transportation and accommodation arrangements. Guests can relax and enjoy the wedding celebrations, without worrying about traveling to and from the venue.
At Pauntley Court, we offer you and your 22 guests 10 luxurious, beautiful and individually- decorated bedrooms, all with The White Company linens and towels as well as 100 acres toiletries and gowns and slippers and freshly cut flowers too. When you book in for a personal tour with Melissa, she will tell you about the bedrooms and show you the layout of the house. We have a fantastic list of local accommodation too for any extra guests.
Planning your intimate wedding as a couple is a fun and exciting experience. Melissa would love to welcome you to Pauntley Court for a viewing and show you around.
Download a brochure or book a viewing today!
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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