Planning a wedding is all about celebrating what makes your love special. Infusing your day with all of the things that bring you joy, or things that brought you together as a couple, is a wonderful way to add a personal touch to the festivities.
If one of the things that you and your partner have bonded over happens to be the beloved Harry Potter books and movies, why not incorporate a few magical touches into your wedding day?
Read on for some of our favorite Harry Potter-inspired wedding ideas, from your decor to your food, and get ready to create a spellbinding event!
Brandi and Lexy’s Harry Potter wedding at The Treasury on The Plaza. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
Wedding Venue
Choosing the right venue is one of the most important aspects of your wedding celebration. The venue sets the tone for your big day and can be a major jumping-off point for the rest of your theming and decor.
When it comes to a Harry Potter-inspired wedding, many venues could offer a potential setting for your nuptials. Look for historic venues with old-world charm to emulate the enchanting scenery the Wizarding World is known for; think charming libraries, elegant museums, enchanted forests, historic colleges, and other beautiful older buildings.
A historic venue like The Treasury on the Plaza in St. Augustine, which was once a grand bank, could be the perfect location for a Harry Potter-themed wedding. | Photo: Southern Palms Studio
Here at The Treasury on the Plaza in St. Augustine, Florida, many couples have compared our Grand Ballroom–with its grand vaulted ceilings and marble columns–to Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
The lighting and special effects available at The Treasury can also add a magical touch to your big day. The ceiling in the Grand Ballroom can change color to match the mood of your event, and our starry night lights are reminiscent of the twinkling candlelight in the Great Hall. This luxurious interior space was built for splendor, and you’d expect nothing less for a Harry Potter wedding!
Lighting and special effects can be a great way to add a touch of magic to your event. The Treasury on the Plaza offers several unique options, including fog, cold sparklers, colored spotlights, colored ceiling lights, and starry night lighting. | Photo: Angelita Esparar
Our cocktail area can also be decked out with your decor to resemble a wizarding pub like The Three Broomsticks, and historic downtown St. Augustine is perfect for that fantasy-like feeling of walking around Hogsmeade for the day.
Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods
Set the tone for your magical wedding right from the start with customized invitations and paper goods. The world is your oyster when it comes to Harry Potter-themed designs. Some ideas include:
- Marauder’s Map: The Marauder’s Map is one of the most well-known magical documents, which makes it perfectly suited as the inspiration for your wedding invitations or programs. You can model your map after your wedding venue, and include magical footprints next to the names of the couple, people in the wedding party, or family members. This idea will have your guests saying, “Marriage managed!”
- Hogwarts Acceptance Letters: One of the most magical moments in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is when Harry receives his Hogwarts letter via a parliament of owls. Give your guests the same feeling when they receive their own Hogwarts acceptance letter-inspired wedding invite!
- The Daily Prophet: Customized newspapers have been all the rage at weddings recently. Add your own twist on this trend by designing your newspaper to look like The Daily Prophet. No, the text on your newspaper won’t move, but it will be magical nonetheless.
- Hogwarts Express Train Ticket: All aboard the Hogwarts Express! Get your guests ready for a magical experience on your wedding day with a ticket inspired by Harry’s enchanted journey from platform nine and three quarters.
Attire
Whether you’re a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, there are plenty of options for attire that can incorporate your wedding theme.
If you are a bride or groom, you can wear whatever brings you joy on your wedding day. You can be as subtle or overt with your theme as you want when it comes to your choice of dress. Maggie Sottero offers some more subtle options for playing an ode to your Hogwarts house with your wedding gown.
For their Harry Potter wedding at The Treasury on The Plaza, Brandi and Lexy asked guests to wear house colors, and one of the brides wore a beautiful cape for the reception. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
Wedding party attire is a great opportunity to play with the Hogwarts house colors. You can find colorful dresses or suits that reflect their individual houses,’ or match the couple’s favorite house colors. You could also go for Yule Ball-themed look with classic formalwear and capes.
For your guests, encourage them to take the quiz on Pottermore to find out what house they’re in and to dress in their finest reds, greens, yellows, and blues. The more the guests get into the spirit, the more it will feel like a true Harry Potter celebration.
Ties in house colors and cufflinks with house emblems are a subtle way to incorporate your Harry Potter theme into your wedding attire. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
Decor
The Harry Potter books do an amazing job of describing the ambiance that is the Wizarding World, and luckily, the movies really bring out the magic and can provide inspiration for your personal wedding decor.
While The Treasury on the Plaza already lends itself to the Harry Potter aesthetic, there are several fun and tasteful ways that your decor can incorporate your theme.
- Table Arrangements: Arranging your guests into long house tables is a great way to subtly incorporate the look and feel of the Great Hall. If you’re getting married at The Treasury on the Plaza, make sure to consult with your event manager to discuss the logistics of this floorplan, and if it will work with your guest count.
A head table and reception banquet tables mimic the look of the long tables in the Hogwarts Great Hall. | Photo: Sydney Marie
- Centerpieces: Incorporating the Hogwarts houses into your tabletop decor is also an easy way to carry through your theming, but there are also other unique options to consider. Tables could be themed after the magical courses featured in the books, like Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. You can also incorporate some of your favorite Harry Potter props and memorabilia, such as the golden snitch, floating candles, the Deathly Hallows symbol, spellbooks, and more.
Harry Potter-themed centerpieces from Brandi and Lexy’s wedding at The Treasury on The Plaza. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
- Wedding Favors: Everyone loves an edible favor, and there are tons of tasty treats to inspire your day, including Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Liquorice Wands, or an edible golden snitch.
Golden snitch edible favors from Brandi and Lexy’s wedding at The Treasury on The Plaza. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
- Signage: From your welcome signs to your seating chart, your signage is another place to incorporate your wedding theme. You can include some of your favorite quotes or symbols from the series, or use a “Sorting Hat” to assign guests to their tables.
Brandi and Lexy’s wedding signage included subtle nods to their Harry Potter theme. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
Entertainment
While you likely won’t have your guests play Quidditch, there are a variety of ways to include wizarding activities to entertain your guests. Here are some ideas:
- Band/DJ: The incredible music from the Harry Potter films holds such a special place in the hearts of many fans. Whether you prefer a band or DJ, consider incorporating some of the music from the soundtrack into the setlist. The ceremony processional and reception entrances would be a great place to play some of your favorite songs.
- Photo Booth: Photo booths come in all shapes and sizes nowadays, and if you opt for an interactive photo booth, you can include a green screen with a background of Hogwarts (or any other chosen Harry Potter scene). Another unique option could be to create mug shots of all of your guests, as if they had just escaped from Azkaban. Include props like witches’ hats, robes, and wands for extra fun!
Food & Desserts
Food is another great way to really bring your Harry Potter wedding to life! British favorites like shepherd’s pie and Yorkshire pudding are sure to be included in any Hogwarts-style feast. There is no end to the amazing food choices Harry Potter-themed weddings can have.
If you want to stay more traditional with your food and have a Harry Potter-themed dessert table, consider treats like Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes for fun. Don’t forget a fabulous cake that takes inspiration from your favorite Potter moments!
Brandi and Lexy’s beautiful Harry Potter-themed cake by Sweet by Holly. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
Bar & Drinks
Drinks are one of the most fun parts of any wedding, but especially a Harry Potter-themed party! Consider some of the following enchanting elixirs:
- Butterbeer: Butterbeer is a must-have at any Harry Potter party. Some specialty purveyors offer pre-made butterbeer soda, but there are lots of great recipes available to create your own concoction.
- Pumpkin Juice: Speak to your caterer or bar team about making a special pumpkin-flavored brew just for you!
- Polyjuice Potion: The notorious Polyjuice Potion could provide inspiration for a signature cocktail. Sure, none of your guests will transform, but as long as the drink is delicious, everyone will love it.
- Love Potion (Amortentia): Let the most powerful love potion in the world spark your imagination for a sweet and romantic wedding signature cocktail.
Talk to your bar team about adding unique touches to your signature drinks, such as edible cocktail glitter for a little magical shimmer, poppable smoke bubbles, or a cocktail smoker reminiscent of a potions chest.
Unique glassware can also add a fun touch to your wedding bar. | Photo: Life & Love Studio
Grand Exit
Your grand exit is another opportunity to leave guests in awe. And when you leave your venue, it’s wands up. Consider sparklers for that wand-like effect.
If you really want to lean into the Harry Potter theme, for your exit, try finding a Ford Anglia for rent (that’s the Weasley’s flying car, for those in the know) to drive off into your new lives.
A sparker exit can create the most spectacular ending to your magical day. | Photo: Angelita Esparar
Accio Wedding!
While we wish planning a wedding was as easy as saying a quick spell and waving a magic wand, the truth is that it takes a lot of time and consideration to create the perfect event. This is especially true for a themed wedding, where you want all of the little details to be perfect. After all, a Harry Potter-themed wedding is more than just a celebration; it’s a journey into a magical world and one of the biggest days of your life.
Choosing The Treasury on the Plaza as your wedding venue is also more than just picking a venue that echoes the grandeur of Gringotts. We’re here as a part of the team to help you bring all of the enchanting details to life. Reach out today to start planning an awe-inspiring event!
