“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living. And above all, pity those who live without love.”, said Albus Dumbledore, and any Potterhead in the room will already be nodding along with the quote! If you have been following us along in this cozy corner of the internet, you will know that we encourage self-expression and any couple who likes to push the envelope and go against the stream to express themselves most fittingly on their wedding day is something that we love around here! So of course when someone talks about a Harry Potter wedding, we can't get all excited fast enough! 

Closet Potterheads ourselves, we understand that a Harry Potter wedding is not just a theme, but it depicts nostalgia and the most fundamental part of many people’s childhood. Many of us have grown up with Harry Potter, experienced those unforgettable friendships, wept on those losses, and went on thrilling adventures, and this series ends up becoming more than just a set of books but a lifestyle choice, a badge of fandom we wear with pride. So of course when two lovers also happen to be big Harry Potter fans, the celebration of their love demands to be a reflection of their fandom! With a Harry Potter wedding theme, there are so many ways you can go about it. From floating candlesticks to a ring box shaped like the golden snitch, the options are as endless as you will let your imagination run! If you are planning a Harry Potter wedding, take notes because we have all the deets!

The invitation letter: Just imagine the excitement of the guest when they receive your wedding invitation in the form of a Hogwarts letter. Go for vintage parchment paper and have the invitation written in swirly font, with Hogwarts emblem in the envelope, all sealed with a red wax seal! You can also get a custom Hogwarts wax seal made for the occasion. Alternatively, you can also go for an invitation card that looks like the Marauders Map! If you want to get creative, you can also send a custom Howler that reads the invitation to the receiver!

The rings: If you have chosen Harry Potter for your wedding day, chances are that you are pretty passionate about the books and the fandom. So why not make it a forever deal by sealing it with Harry Potter-inspired engagement rings and wedding bands. You can go for a lightning bolt-shaped ring, or one like a golden snitch, or maybe even the deathly hallows! Or you can go simple with matching rings, one saying “Always” and the other “Forever”. You and your partner can also consider going for matching Deathly Hallows tattoos instead of rings! 

Witchy accessories:  With a Harry Potter theme, the options are truly endless accessories. Whether it comes to 9 ¾ cufflinks or a golden snitch as a boutonniere for your sweetheart, or a Time-turner as your wedding day jewelry, with a little creativity, there is a ton of inspiration out there for you to choose from! We also love the quaint and mismatched bouquets and witchy elements which make an ensemble complete. 

Quirky decor elements: With a Harry Potter theme, you can surely take it to the next level, and create a truly immersive environment, or you can stick to your colors and decor style with a little bit of magic sprinkled in! You can decorate your ceremony aisle in a triangle form as an ode to the Deathly Hallows or you can decorate the sweetheart table like a Hogwarts professor's seat, with a banner that says “The unbreakable Vow”. You can have some bubbling cauldrons placed strategically without going full “Halloween'' on your guest(of course if it is Halloween, feel free to do just that!). You can have a broom stand in the entry with some decorative brooms for a full effect! 

Enchanted cake: You know the drill already. A wedding cake that is created with a specific theme in mind is truly what acts as the central focus of the wedding day. For a theme to be communicated well, a memorable wedding cake is a must! Needless to say, there is plenty of inspiration when it comes to a Harry Potter-themed wedding cake. You can have layers of crepes as a wedding cake, all topped off with a Chocolate Frog, or you can have a three-tiered cake in your house colors and top it off with a fun cake topper like the quidditch hoops, the golden snitch, or an “Always” cake topper with the Deadly Hallows logo! Serve this amazing alternative to a typical wedding cake: Harry Potter macarons!

Return the favor: In addition to the wedding cake, another fun way to incorporate the wedding theme is through the wedding favors. It is a bonus that the guests get to use it and remember you by it for the rest of their lives. You can arrange for your guests to take home chocolate cards, character cards, and all, or you can do something simple, like a potted plant that looks like the Mandrakes! If you like going into the details, you can send each of your wedding guests a handcrafted wand! There are plenty of Etsy and Instagram shops selling one-of-a-kind wands. 

Bridesmaid gifts: Do you want a subtle touch of magic for you and your girls to share? Here is what we propose- matching lightning bolt pendants for all your special girls. Alternatively, you can also go for time-turners for your girls to wear during the ceremony. If you want to go the traditional route but still keep the HP spirit alive, how about swapping the floral silk robes for witchy robes which come with a hood? You can also have the Hogwarts emblem embroidered in the batch for some lovely group photo opportunities! 

Photobooth: Can one have a Harry Potter wedding without an epic Harry Potter-themed photoshoot? We think not! And not surprisingly, with this theme, there are a lot of different creative ideas we can experiment with. From the Sirius Black poster style photo prop to an enchanting dwelling photo session of the couple, the options are endless. If you want to go for a more Hogwart-themed photoshoot, set up a photo corner with thick drapes and random formal paintings framed in thick golden frames and it will be the perfect setting for some Potter-inspired portraits for both the couple and the guests. You can have a selection of fun Harry-Potter-inspired accessories for them to use!

Magical creatures: It is the magical creatures in the Wizarding World that make life pretty exciting. No, we don't expect you to get a fire-breathing dragon for your wedding day, you can surely add some of your own “magical” creatures of your own. From snowy owls like Hedwig to cats to bearded dragons, you can add some creatures to your wedding day to be more reminiscent of your wedding day. If having a bunch of animals on your wedding day is not the most manageable thing for your wedding day, you can surely add them in another way. Whether it is through decor elements like owl cutouts or illustrations, you have the same effect!

Dress the part: If you want to throw caution to the air and fully commit to the theme, go for dress robes in the Gryffindor house of your choice! However, if you are not ready to go full wizard mode, you can also go for yule-ball-inspired attires or more traditional dress choices with subtle touches of accessories throughout the attire! For a more casual colder-weather wedding, you can also go for a jacket with “Always” inscribed on the back of the jacket. So fun! Dressing the part doesn't have to be just for the wedding day. Go for fun bachelorette party sashes that read “Muggle to Mrs.” so that you may commemorate your transformation from muggle to Mrs.

Menu from the great hall: Roasted beef and roasted chicken, boiled and roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, and gravy are all part of the traditional Hogwarts feast. While these are all perfect for a winter wedding, you can also go for different versions of the same dishes to make them more appropriate for the weather. You can include different kinds of puddings and jellies on the dessert table to be closer to the theme. 

Magical drinks: Inviting your guests to your party in style is a must. Create cocktails inspired by some of Professor Snape's most famous potions, such as Eye of Newt, Witch's Brew, and Felix Felicis. While waiting for the ceremony to begin, your guests can enjoy the delicious refreshments. For the cocktail hour, you can choose drinks like pumpkin juice, the Hogsmeade specialty-Butterbeer, Polyjuice potion, or Love Potion! A cold glass of Butterbeer float is perfect for a summer wedding! The options are endless and each is as exciting as the next! You will find tons of Harry Potter-inspired cocktail recipes online, so choose an array of the best! You can also serve house drinks based on the house the guests are sorted into!

House them up! True Harry Potter fans understand that your House determines your identity in the Wizarding World. Each of the four Hogwarts houses has its color palette, which is a great place to start when choosing colors for bridesmaid gowns or groomsmen details! You can also divide your guests into random houses as per their seating arrangements, and you will find that your seated guests will look more and more like the wizards and witches in the Great Hall. You can either go the sorting hat route and make a ceremony out of sorting each guest which might be harder to execute for a wedding with a bigger guest list. You can also equally divide your guest into their respective house either based on their personality or your perspective! 

Lighting is key: When it comes to lighting in a Harry Potter-themed wedding, one of the classic ways to go about it is to go for levitating candlesticks. While real candles being levitated by flossing thread might be too high-maintenance and probably dangerous, you can always go for battery-operated candles to have the same effect. Lean heavily on candles throughout the wedding. You can also take a leaf from celestial wedding ideas and go for velvety blue skies sparkling with star-like lighting to imitate the Great Hall’s ceiling! 

Say it with signage: Nothing like fitting signage with a Harry Potter quote to truly establish the theme in place. And there is no dearth of powerful quotes throughout the series, as Dumbledore himself has spewed quite a lot of gems! How about a simple “After all this time?” “Always!” combo? Or a more thoughtful one like “Love is the strongest power there is.” Having a magical quote in the entry area is a great way to welcome your guests on your enchanting wedding day. You can also pepper some of those amazing quotes throughout the venue, whether it is featured as a ceremony backdrop, in the table setting, or even a table seating signage!

The magical exit: With a wedding day as magical as this, the exit has to be just as memorable. Give your guests long-stemmed sparklers for a truly stunning departure. They'll look like wands when your loved ones hold them up. You can also hand out Gryffindor swords for your guests to hold as you exit to your happily-ever-after from under the arch. And as you ride into the horizon, choose a blue Weasley car to stick to the theme and make a lasting impression on your enchanted guests!

House-inspired flowers: Flowers and weddings go hand in hand, and it's the easiest way to integrate a theme and color into your special day. Show your house colors with color-coordinated bouquets, candles, and flags, whether you're a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. You can go for a green theme in one area while another area is more of a red and gold theme. While drapes and table settings can also be used to incorporate color, doing it through flowers keeps things light and airy!

The thing with fantasy-themed weddings is that you can dip your toes into it as per your preference and make it uniquely yours! Whether you want to wear Gryffindor cloaks for your ceremony, and want to make your guests go through a sorting when they enter, or you want delicate and tasteful elements from the world of Harry Potter without going full Comiccon, the call is yours to make, and no matter what you choose, we promise you won't be disappointed. You can incorporate as many Harry Potter elements as you feel comfortable doing. 

This theme of the wedding is exemplary of the fact that shared interest can enrich life for the better, deepen connections and create stories to last a lifetime! While a Harry Potter fandom is immense and quite passionate, finding a loved one who shares the love for the world as much as you is truly a gift! So share the love and passion on your big day in a way that feels perfect for your own love story. As Ron said, “Don’t let the Muggles get you down.” and make way for a truly magical celebration!