A Colourful Harry Potter themed wedding at The Athaeneum, Liverpool- Rachel Joyce Photography

As a fully paid up Potter-nerd and a total book worm, a colourful, Harry Potter themed wedding in a library is pretty much the dream. This one is full of the cutest DIY details, a riot of colour and so much fun, including the ‘scousest’ photo-bomb you ever did see. Check out the stunning photos by Rachel Joyce Photography! Now, over to Michelle and Ian for all the juicy details:

How We Met…

“We’d dated for 5 years before we got engaged in York. We have a cat and two guinea pigs and share a love of books and music. Before we met, we connected through Ian’s music and a mutual friend through a series of tweets, emails and letters. We’d crossed paths before but never met and had loads of strange connections which guided us towards each other. It’s almost as if he was always there, but we both had to wait for the right moment to come into each other’s lives. I always think of Ian as helping me become the person I was meant to be.”

The Plans

“We wanted to get started right away. We’d always wanted a short engagement, but when we figured out costs, we decided to save and book the wedding for 2 years time. We knew we wanted something relaxed and we knew we wanted to do as much as possible ourselves. I (Michelle) am very creative so couldn’t wait to get stuck in! Our theme was just an amalgamation of the things we love, we decided to play homage to all of these interests in our table decorations and other bits dotted around the venue. We had everything from Harry Potter to Dr Who. It was important to us that it represented both of us.”

The Venue

“Picking our venue was easier than we thought! When we went to view The Athenaeum in Liverpool, it just felt right. We wanted something relatively small and low key, but with a bit of grandeur. We both love reading so getting married in the reading room was the perfect choice for us. We loved the atmosphere and the helpfulness of the staff.”

The Suppliers

“We used Google a LOT! We found our photographer through an incredibly long search. When we connected with her, I immediately loved her (she’s ridiculously cool) – i’d definitely suggest when looking for a photographer, you will need to click (no pun intended) with them. They’re a big part of your day. “I picked the fourth dress I tried on in Wed2B and it was totally different to what I imagined myself in. Ian chose his suits from Debenhams. The bridesmaids dresses were a challenge but I ended up getting them off Amazon and struck lucky with the style as it suited everyone and they felt comfortable in it. Comfort was key to me in everything, it’s a long day and everyone should feel confident and nice. I can’t think of anything we didn’t love about the wedding process. Our aim from the beginning was to try and avoid stress. The guest list was possibly the hardest thing!”

Top Tips and Lessons Learned…

“If I could do it again, I wouldn’t send Save the Dates. Our top tip is to just enjoy it. This is the only time you and your significant other will experience this day together. If you start feeling overwhelmed, have a break from it for a few days. Try and get away a few weeks before the wedding and stay somewhere together or with friends to reset. If you’re creative, try and make things yourselves and rope your pals in to help. Invest in storage boxes and label what’s in them as your house will get over taken by wedding stuff. If you’re on a budget, ask your venue for simplified versions of menus. On the day, something will go wrong…it’s inevitable. We forgot about the order of service AND the guest book (which I spent forever making) but it doesn’t matter. My most important tip is to make sure you get some time together on the day. We were lucky to have a small boardroom at the venue so we agreed to meet there and just have a sit down and a deep breath from the business outside. We loved it. And finally, don’t feel obliged to do anything because it’s the done thing or traditional, if you’re not sure about something or don’t want it, say no. It’s your day!!”

The Dream Team

Photography- Rachel Joyce Photography – We chose because she’s warm, talented and a generally amazing human being. Her style was relaxed and reflected our wedding.

Make Up- Hannah Carson MUA We were gifted a package from a very generous friend for makeup for me, bridesmaids and mum.

Emma from Blush Liverpool – My amazing hairdresser. I couldn’t have chosen anyone else. She’s incredibly talented and kind. Venue- The Athaeneum, Liverpool