After meeting at Warwick University and dating for thirteen years, Elspeth and Mel tied the knot in a truly magical winter wedding at Warwick Castle. Their big day had an incredible Harry Potter theme, which originally started as a joke but quickly became the most unique aspect of their November wedding.Â
Want to be married in a romantic castle like Elspeth and Mel? Check out some incredible castle venues here.
The Venue
The couple chose to marry in the town where they met, in the historic Warwick Castle. This incredible castle wedding venue made the perfect Hogwarts stand-in, thanks to the beautiful rooms. "We knew we wanted to get married in Warwick Castle having attended another wedding there," says Mel. "Their staff all helped us enormously on all the details."
The ceremony and reception took place in the fittingly named Great Hall, which was more than ample to accommodate the 113 wedding guests. The Hall was decorated beautifully with a Christmas tree filled with fairy lights. The brides also added sashes in the Hogwarts house colours to the chair covers for a pop of colour.Â
The Details
The details definitely made this theme extra magical, with Harry Potter wedding touches throughout. The wedding invitations were Hogwarts acceptance letters, and the table plan was a Marauder’s Map. There was a live owl display after the ceremony, and magic potions that guests could mix on the table. Elspeth made 113 magic wands, and there was even a resident Moaning Myrtle in the toilet. "The Castle played along wonderfully, changing all the staff name tags to characters from the books, which was a lovely touch," says Mel.Â
The Fashion
No traditional white dresses for these brides - Mel and Elspeth looked incredible in their green and gold gowns. Mel wore a stunning gold sequin dress from Badgley Mischka, while Elspeth chose a green velvet gown from New York store Effie's Boutique. In the evening, both brides wore faux fur stoles to keep out the November chill.Â
The four bridesmaids wore chic black dresses from ASOS, with each of them wearing a pair of shoes in a different Hogwarts colour.Â
Memorable Moments
Elspeth’s sister, Annie, surprised the brides with an all-guest flash mob! Annie runs a company that performs at weddings, and secretly coordinated all the wedding guests to join in on a mash-up of Elspeth and Mel’s favourite 90s songs. Â
