Inside: A Bucolic Country House Wedding in Gloucestershire

From a serendipitous meeting in a Soho wine bar to a heartfelt proposal in the Cotswolds, step inside Veena McCoole and Ross Poulley’s wedding at Elmore Court – a weekend of modern country romance where lace sleeves, candlelit banquets, and late-night Old Fashioneds set the tone for an effortlessly elegant celebration in the Gloucestershire hills.

The story so far

Ross and I met in the summer of 2019: we’d both just moved to London from the U.S to start our careers. Our first date was at a now-shuttered wine bar in Soho, and the COVID-19 lockdown meant we moved in together earlier than expected. Four years later, we got engaged in the Cotswolds: our favourite place to escape to on long weekends (more about our engagement story here).

We had a two year-long engagement period before finally tying the knot in September 2025, which was ideal for us to spread out the planning process and minimise stress.

Venue

We celebrated our reception at Elmore Court in Gloucestershire, the first and only wedding venue we toured! It’s the perfect place for larger celebrations as we wanted somewhere that could accommodate our 160-person guest list and offer multiple indoor and outdoor spaces in which the day could unfold. We welcomed family and friends to the Cotswolds the night before with a drinks reception on the terrace of No. 131 Hotel, and debriefed over a pub lunch at The Old Courthouse Pub (both venues in Cheltenham) the day after.

One of the most unforgettable parts of the day was after midnight, when I changed into my Nadine Merabi pajamas and joined two dozen of our overnight guests in Elmore’s drawing room, where we all sunk into cosy sofas, sipped Old Fashioneds, and chatted for hours to the tune of Olivia Dean’s new album. It was the most comfortable and carefree way to conclude the day of our dreams.

Fashion

I wore a long sleeved lace dress with a tulle A-line skirt from House of Saint Patrick, a Pronovias brand. It was a very special find from Blessed Brides boutique in Singapore, where my parents live. We also sewed a piece of my husband’s late grandmother’s dress into it, so we’d have a piece of her with us on the day.

My shoes were my “something old,” a pre-loved pair of white satin slingbacks from Dune London. Later in the evening I slipped into a sparkly beaded Nadine Merabi number, perfect for dancing under the disco ball.

Ross looked dapper in a blue three-piece suit from Hawes and Curtis, a Reiss tie, Hackett shoes and a Suitsupply shirt.

Jewellery

I wore delicate diamond earrings from Boodles, and a tennis bracelet from The Diamond Store, gifted to me by my husband on the morning of our wedding. Later in the evening I switched into the pair of Swarovski earrings that my Maids of Honour generously surprised me with.

Bridal party

We opted for a light neutral colour scheme for our bridal party and groomsmen. The boys wore summery suits and ties from Reiss, and the bridesmaids each selected a unique, champagne-coloured satin dress from brands such as Meshki and Azazie.

Transportation

A chauffeured car from Premier Carriage Wedding Cars whisked Ross and I back to Elmore after we tied the knot – the scenic drive from the church was ideal for us to have a moment to ourselves, reflect on the ceremony, and FaceTime Ross’s grandad, who couldn’t be with us on the day.

Guests were transported from the church to our venue in a fleet of stylish vintage buses from Chepstow Carriages, and there were plenty of G&T tinnies and Mirabeau rosé to go around for the journey.

Tablescape

Our tablescape combined simple bud vases and cream-coloured candlesticks across long banquet tables in the Gillyflower, Elmore Court’s light-filled space for dinner and dancing.

We named each table after our most frequented neighbourhood pubs, and worked with watercolour artist The Putney Painter to create a bespoke table plan featuring illustrations of the pubs on a map of our neighbourhood. We can’t wait to frame the original artworks as reminders of the wedding weekend.

Food & drinks

Guests arrived to flutes of Nyetimber English sparkling wine, a nod to our bucolic countryside setting (and a firm favourite in our fridge!). We served Guinness and G&Ts throughout the day, and trays of espresso martinis and spicy margaritas went around just as the dance floor was opening to get everyone on their feet!

We served sticky toffee pudding instead of wedding cake for dessert, which was a total hit, and a loaded fries truck provided partygoers with crucial late-night sustenance.

Entertainment

A string trio from Halo Strings filled the church with classical pieces before the ceremony, and played more contemporary songs throughout our drinks reception. The dance floor opened with our first dance to Float by Olivia Dean, sung by one of my talented bridesmaids who doubled as our MC for the evening. A vintage-style photobooth created memorable keepsakes for guests to take home with them.

The band, complete with a brass section (Ross’s music non-negotiable was horns), brought incredible energy to the dance floor, which was full until the very end of the night.

Beauty regime & wellness

Annabella Brayne specialises in glowy skin makeup, and truly made me look like the best version of myself on the day. Andrea Luella styled my hair into a modern knotted bun to show off the low back of my dress. Finally, Jessica Rose experimented with more fashion editorial-style makeup and a glamorous blowout for my night-before look.

Before the wedding, I saw Elayne at Ela Sculpt for the best lymphatic drainage treatment, visited Sarah Chapman for a bespoke bridal facial with Anna, and was pampered with a deep tissue massage and body scrub at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair spa.

Favourite Wedding Gifts

We created our gift list through Prezola to combine contributions for our honeymoon fund with new items for our home, and are grateful for the generous (if completely unnecessary) gifts we’ve been given. Highlights include a full set of Burleigh’s Green Asiatic Pheasants plates and bowls, some gorgeous new wine glasses, and techy bits for the kitchen.

Honeymoon

We spent a divine few days tucked away from the outside world at The Pig Hotel in the Cotswolds, located in Barnsley. It was heavenly to unwind amidst nature, catch up on sleep, and fill our boots with the freshest food from their kitchen garden. In February, we’ll spend two weeks in Kenya: one on a safari organised by Atua Enkop, and another lazing on the beach in Diani soaking it all in.

Advice

If you’re not in a rush to get married, a long engagement period takes the stress away from wedding planning and gives you loads of time to do your research, secure your favourite vendors, and mark the date in people’s diaries with plenty of notice. It also helped us to look for experts who had previously worked at our venue, so we knew they’d be familiar with the spaces and on-the-day logistics.

Finally, take care of the big things first and the little things will follow: try not to get too caught up in the small details until you’ve locked down a date and a venue, as everything flows from there. The final touches can fall into place closer to the time.