Janet Wareing Photography

Mischief Managed - A Magical Harry Potter Wedding in Manchester

I grabbed my cameras from the boot of my car, slung them around my shoulders and speed-walked across the car park of the Hallmark Hotel in Handforth.

So much had been discussed, so many plans described over the year since Carly, Simon and I had started talking about their wedding and how it would come to life that I could not wait to finally see their ideas come to fruition.

Stepping into the Sauvignon Suite as Simon and his friends added the finishing touches to the ceremony decor, I didn't know where to begin to look.

Every aspect of the suite had been transformed into a Harry Potter haven. Nestled in the corner were suitcases waiting for their journey on the Hogwarts Express, complete with name tags. The Owl Post was ready to receive cards and gifts from guests and the aisle, well, words can't describe how magical it was.

Harry Potter Wedding Manchester Janet Wareing Photography

Simon and Carly had created each detail themselves, becoming best friends with their glue gun and reams of fishing line to create floating candles, a twinkling archway, the sorting hat and an aisle made entirely from pages of the books (yes, really!) it didn't stop there, but let's see some of the magic before I continue!

After saying their 'I do solemnly declare' - so much like ' I solemnly swear...' that I couldn't help but think of the Marauder's Map, the bride and groom were cheered on their way, followed by their guests who each received a Hogwarts sorting gift bundle as they left the ceremony - to make sure everyone was in on the fun. Armed with scarves in house stripes and packets of themed sweets, the guests set about making the most of the interactive wedding decor.

Before too long, everyone found themselves seated for the wedding breakfast in the Great Hall, sorry, Sauvignon Suite!

With centrepieces themed around Hogwarts subjects, such as Divination and Muggle Studies, there was no end to the treats in store. The real fun began when wedding guests spotted the piles of pages from the Harry Potter books on their tables, with a little note reading - please use these to make paper aeroplanes; an idea stemmed from the interdepartmental memos that flit around the Ministry of Magic. As paper planes zoomed around the room, us photographers intercepted a few of them with our cameras!

I usually leave a wedding in a happy bubble, having met incredible people, captured beautiful moments to relive for years to come. On this day I left feeling all of that and more - deeply inspired, that with imagination, inspiration and a great deal of hard work (and perfectionism) amazing dreams can take shape.