A beautiful micro church wedding with family and friends staying together, enjoying the house and gardens here at Pauntley Court this year.
All photos were taken by the brilliant James Fear https://www.fearphotography.com
“It was such a magical day and the weather was absolutely beautiful, our guests are still talking about it.
The wedding was truly a family effort and very personal to us.”
After a turbulent couple of years, it has been an absolute joy to be able to host love stories at Pauntley Court once again. We’re over the moon to be able to share Grace and Jamie’s very special midweek wedding with you – the couple said, ‘I Do’ on Wednesday 8th September 2021 in the wonderful Norman church just next door to Pauntley Court surrounded by their closest friends and family.
Grace and Jamie’s wedding finally took place after being postponed, not once, but three times due to the various lockdowns, restrictions and covid-secure venue ruling. “We were originally supposed to get married at Great Witley Church and then have 80 guests for a wedding reception at Grace’s parent’s house in a marquee,” Jamie explains. “Due to the uncertainty of it all and because we had 5 elderly grandparents attending, we eventually decided that a micro wedding would be the best option. We instantly knew Pauntley Court would be the safest and perfect option for us. We fell in love with Pauntley when we first went to see it in 2018. We were the first engaged couple to view Pauntley as a potential wedding venue!”
Grace and Jamie visited the Pauntley Church six times prior to their wedding there and so enjoyed getting to know the friendly and welcoming church community over the months in the run-up to their September wedding.
Pauntley Court offers a three-day experience, so the celebrations began the day before their wedding, with close family members decorating the venue and our nearby church. Once everything was set up, Grace and Jamie enjoyed an evening in the Flower Room, having fish & chips delivered by The Tudor Fish & Chip shop in Newent. “The Flower Room is a fantastic space to eat in and it also has a bar in the corner which is great for parties. It felt amazing to all be able to eat and socialise together the night before the wedding, and for Jamie and myself, it was such a relief that it could even go ahead! The fact that our close friends and family could stay together at Pauntley was amazing and definitely helped add to the atmosphere,” Grace says.
“We chose Pauntley Court for so many reasons. Firstly, the venue is simply stunning. The house is beautiful, as are the gardens, and it offers fantastic views across the wider rural landscape. Another reason we both love Pauntley is because we both have a background in heritage, and the history behind the house really connected with us.”
It was also important to Grace and Jamie that their immediate family members could stay the night before and the night of the wedding, adding to the intimacy of the occasion. They also wanted a church wedding and loved the fact that our Parish Church is literally next door to the venue so Grace could get ready in the morning and then walk across the to the church with her father feeling relaxed and excited.
Grace and her bridal party got ready on the morning of the wedding in the Owl & Pussycat room. The bride wore an elegant white robe while her bridesmaids and mum wore floral cream and green robes, enjoying a delicious spread of pastries and fruit. Jamie and his groomsmen got ready in the Elinor Fettiplace living room, which meant he could also meet and greet the suppliers and guests as they arrived.
The wedding party were able to have a relaxed breakfast in the main house kitchen on the morning of the wedding. Grace had organised pastries and coffees so everyone could help themselves and chat and catch up before the big day began.
The bride looked utterly beautiful, wearing her hair in a loose bun with curls framing her face and three delicate pearl hair clips. Grace wore a vintage diamond necklace that Jamie had bought her as a wedding present, as well as pearl earrings that her mum had bought her. For Grace’s ‘Something Borrowed’, she wore her mum’s 1920s cream vintage beaded bag for the wedding. This crafty couple made the bouquets themselves, using cream and pink roses.
The six bridesmaids looked lovely in dusky pink and gold gowns, each individually chosen so that each member of the bridal party felt comfortable and confident in an outfit that suited their shape and style. They also wore matching pearl hair clips and earrings which looked gorgeous with their gowns. The groom and his groomsmen donned champagne-coloured ties to compliment the bridesmaid gowns, paired with stylish dark blue suits. The entire morning was very laidback, and the couple were just so excited that their big day had finally arrived.
Jamie’s mum and older sister decorated the church aisle with bunches of gypsophila and asparagus fern – they thought the church was so beautiful that it didn’t need too much in terms of décor. “Every second of the day was magical, but our favourite part of the day was saying our vows in Pauntley Church. Our wedding day was 15 months after our original date, so we were just so relieved and excited to finally be married. It was so nice to all finally be together after spending so many months apart due to coronavirus. Some of us hadn’t seen each other for a year and a half. The whole day was just full of love and laughter, and you could really feel the happiness.”
After the church ceremony, the couple and their 22 guests strolled the short distance back through the main gates and down the drive, with the Dovecote and apple orchard on either side, to the stretched tent, which was decorated with fairy lights, handmade bunting, fresh flowers and golden candle holders. They were spoilt with gorgeous sunshine and so were able to enjoy an outdoor drinks reception.
For their wedding breakfast, guests gathered in the Ballroom. It was decorated with cut glass and gold vases that had been collected over the last few years, with vintage side plates and tea sets. Grace’s sister made dark chocolate brownies, layered with ruby chocolate, and freeze-dried raspberries for wedding favours offered in cute individual boxes with a green decorative wreath around their names. Charlotte Gardner Catering was on hand to provide a delicious feast for everyone to tuck into, while The Old Dough Hook provided traditional wood-fired pizzas from his 1970s Citroen H Van for their evening food.
The first dance took place under the stretched tent, with Kringo Blue (an acoustic singer) playing, ‘Is this love?’ by Bob Marley. Grace and Jamie then used our PA system to play their own evening music to dance to, with a relaxed vibe and plenty of dancing. The couple moved the party inside, having decorated the Flower Room with extra lights and a string of memorable photographs while setting up a photo booth for friends and family to enjoy. Grace and Jamie also had a games table set up near the stretched tent, featuring tin cans, Jenga and boules – which everyone loved playing throughout the day. It really was a celebration to remember!
From the team at Pauntley Court, it was a sheer pleasure to host their love story at our beloved family home and wedding venue in the Cotswolds.
Grace & Jamie’s wedding day advice…
“Your wedding day will go so quickly, make sure to check in with each other and take in all the special moments. We snuck off early and went to the Owl and Pussycat Room to open all of our cards. It was really nice spending that time together before we went to bed.”
Fish and Chips (Tuesday night) The Tudor Fish & Chip Shop @tudorfishandchipshop
Church – Church of St John the Evangelist, Pauntley
Wedding Co-ordinator – Weddings & Social media Co. @theweddingsocialandco
Bar – Peggy Sue’s Mobile Bars @peggysues_worcester
Acoustic Artist – Kringo Blue @kringoblue
Photographer – James Fear Photography @jamesfearphotography
Videographers – Surefooted Media @surefootedmedia
Daytime Cater – Charlotte Gardner Catering @charlottegardnercatering
Evening Cater –The Old Dough Book Pizza Co @theolddoughhook
Hair – Beautiful Hair @beautifulhair_bh
Makeup – Pep Makeup Artistry @pep_makeup
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