Grace & Paul’s Unforgettable Wedding at The Barn at Pengelly
At the start of 2024, we launched something incredibly close to our hearts: The Unsung Hero Award. It was our way of collaborating with suppliers to give back to someone who had faced life’s toughest challenges with strength, resilience, and gift someone who truly deserved a dream wedding.
The response was overwhelming. Stories of love, loss, and unwavering determination poured in from across the county. But one story touched us deeply: the story of Grace and Paul.
After 12 years together, they had never been able to afford a wedding. In 2020, Paul suffered a brain haemorrhage that left him unable to work. Since then, life has thrown them one challenge after another.
Grace is a devoted mum to four children. Her two eldest have complex needs — one is wheelchair-bound and fully reliant on adult care, and the second is autistic and lives with extreme anxiety. In 2022, while 38+6 weeks pregnant, Grace suffered a placental abruption. She lost her baby boy and nearly four litres of blood — a traumatic, life-threatening experience that became the lowest point of her life.
At the same time, she was battling the education system to find support for her children, who were out of school because their needs were no longer being met. After two long years of advocacy, both children were finally given places at a specialist school in September 2023.
Despite everything, Grace and Paul have faced life with love, loyalty, and incredible perseverance. It was an honour to tell them they had won our Unsung Hero Award.
Their wedding took place this week — and it was unforgettable.
With the Cornish sun beaming down, Grace and Paul exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony at The Barn at Pengelly. There was laughter, love, and not a dry eye in sight. Grace got ready in our brand-new glam room, and the entire day flowed beautifully thanks to an incredible team of suppliers who donated their time and talents to make this dream day come true.
We’d like to give a huge thank you to:
- Divine Dining – for the mouthwatering wedding breakfast
- Wedding Day Dog Nanny – for taking wonderful care of their beloved dog
- I Do Photos & Films – for capturing every emotional and joyful moment
- Doms Discos – who kept the party going into the night
- Charlotte Albert – who worked her makeup magic
- Anna Ingram – for flawless bridal hair styling
- West Cornwall Flowers – for stunning floral creations
- Out of the Ordinary Hire – for providing the beautiful décor and finishing touches
- And of course, The Barn at Pengelly – the place where it all came together
This day wasn’t just about tying the knot. It was a celebration of everything Grace and Paul have overcome, and a reminder of what weddings are truly about — love, hope, and the people who lift each other up through life’s hardest moments.
To everyone who entered our Unsung Hero campaign: your stories touched us deeply. While we could only offer one free wedding, we were honoured to give three of our runners-up 50% off venue hire to help them on their own special journey.
Grace and Paul reminded us all why we do what we do. This is why we opened our doors. And we’re beyond proud to have played a small part in giving them the day they’ve waited so long for.
You’ll always have a place in our hearts here at The Barn at Pengelly.
We look forward to launching the second edition next year!
