


A couple joined houses Harry Potter style.
The Chicago-based Potter fans spent $25,000 bringing the magic of the wizarding world to life for their wedding ceremony, but not everyone was put under the spell of the theme wedding.
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Craig, 36, and Katherine, 28, have always bonded over their love for the Harry Potter series.
When they were dating, they even discovered that they had the same Harry Potter-related tattoo and took their matching dark marks as a good sign.
So when Craig and Katherine visited Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, he knew it was the perfect spot to propose.
After Craig got down on one knee at Hogwarts Castle and asked Katherine to marry him, the couple began dreaming up their big day.
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The Chicago couple knew that they wanted a non-traditional wedding and felt that incorporating their “shared love” for Harry Potter was the best way to celebrate their magical day.
“Katherine and I aren’t huge fans of ceremonies and traditional weddings, and we knew we wanted to have a different wedding,” Craig said.
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The couple decided to go all out with Harry Potter-related decorations and details and even asked their guests to join in on the theme.
Friends and family were asked to wear colors coordinating with the Harry Potter houses they had been assigned to on their invitations and watched on as the couple made their unbreakable vow standing in front of a Deathly Hallows shaped alter.
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The newlyweds were married by a friend dressed as the beloved character Dumbledore and shared their first dance gripping each other and their wands as they swayed away.
The Potter heads who are both elementary school teachers ended up spending $25,000 on their Harry Potter-themed day (the average American wedding cost $30,000 in 2022).
“There were a lot of people who loved it, but there were a mixture of comments like ‘Grow up,'” Craig recounted.
“A lot of people kept saying stuff [online] like ‘I’m sure everyone in the audience is so uncomfortable’, and ‘the ring bearer must be so embarrassed’ but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Craig and Katherine’s friends and family felt differently than the online trolls who had strong opinions on what they thought was a ridiculous-themed wedding.
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“There wasn’t a single unsupportive person at our wedding. There were zero negative remarks before, at, or after our wedding from guests. What we did hear a lot was that it was the best wedding people had been to,” Craig said.
“Katherine’s grandparents who are in their 70s came up to us multiple times throughout the night telling us they didn’t know what to expect, but it was the most fun they had at a wedding in a long time.”
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The couple was happy to hear that their guests enjoyed the magical matrimony as much as they did.
“Our friends and family are so used to our shenanigans, by now they just go along with it,” Craig shared.