Muggle Matrimony: Amanda and Andrew’s Great Hall Affair

by · July 9, 2015

Amanda and Andrew initially met at a fourth of July party in ’06, and thus began this latest addition to Muggle Matrimony. As is often the case, the bride, Amanda, had always been a Potter aficionado. From the midnight screenings to the nostalgic book lines, she made certain that any future commitments meant her love for the fandom was part of the package. Andrew was more than thrilled to oblige.

Naturally, their proposal took place at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. While waiting in line to snap a photo with the train conductor, Amanda turned to find Andrew on one knee, which was met with both a resounding “yes” and a celebratory round of butterbeer.

As the wedding planning got underway her love for the novels was destined to share the spotlight.  Beginning with the invitations, Amanda carefully weaved stories about the couple and the event around custom-made maps imprinted with Hogwarts Castle. This carried through to the reception area, where wooden farmhouse tables, jewel-toned table runners, and chalkboards inscribed with Sorting Hat poems combined to create a Great Hall atmosphere. Even bubble lights were strung throughout the rafters to mimic the infamous floating candle bewitchment.

According to Amanda:

Since it was an outdoor Texas wedding, I definitely wanted a rustic-chic style wedding but with Harry Potter details. I wanted to create a space that a Potter fan would appreciate, but I did not want the theme to be so overwhelming that it would take away from the reception space.

The ceremony featured bridesmaids and groomsmen decked out in shades of black, pink, and ivory. This is not to discount the adorable inclusion of their two pet dogs down the aisle. Flutes of champagne led to a somewhat tipsy but entirely endearing recital of vows and proclamations of “I do!” With the reception equipped with a dance floor, several themed props, and a personalized photo booth, Amanda and Andrew ensured that the rest of the night rivaled all other Potter affairs the couple had experienced. And with that, the two now look forward to their honeymoon in none other than London of course.

Congratulations to Amanda and Andrew! We wish you both all the magic and adventure of the series in your new lives together. Be sure to check out our other featured couples, and let us know what inspirations you’ll be taking away from another superbly themed event.

Amanda and Andrew's Q&A

Q: What houses do you and Andrew belong to respectively?

Amanda: I am probably a Ravenclaw and he is probably a Gryffindor.

Q:  After what couple from the novels would you most want to model your own relationship?

Amanda: I would want to model our relationship after Molly and Arthur Weasley. They seem to have a strong and solid marriage, and they still seem to be in love even after all these years. They have such a strong family unit, and their house seems to be home base for everything. I would like to have an established and loving home like theirs.

Q: Were there any limitations you encountered in sticking to your theme?

Amanda: I wouldn't say limitations. Luckily the Harry Potter world is so vast and the fandom so expansive that merchandise or custom props were relatively easy to come by. However, making the reception space look like the Great Hall was a lot of work. We had to rent 20 farmhouse tables and have them assembled and set up the day of the wedding and dissembled at the end of the night. Plus we had to have 100 bubble lights hung and filled with candles. Both of those efforts were time consuming and expensive, but well worth it.

Q: How did you go about sourcing the themed items for your reception?

Amanda: I got a lot of things from Etsy, such as the goblets, the card stock photo booth props, the bubble lights,and the wanted posters. I also got a lot of my props off Amazon as well. I made all the chalkboards myself!

Q: Which one character from the series would you have preside over your ceremony?

Amanda: Dumbledore, definitely Dumbledore.

Q: What enchanted item from the series would you most desire as a wedding gift?

Amanda: I would love a Pensieve. A way to go back, view memories and organize thoughts would be a wonderful thing to be able to do.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you can give to anyone planning a themed event?

Amanda: My advice when planning a themed event is to not let the theme take over or hinder the event. Sometimes it is very easy to get carried away with a theme and it ends up taking away from the event rather than enhancing it. I took things I was going to have anyway (tables, photo booth, invitations) and used those pieces to carry out my theme instead of adding things just because they were themed.