Elegant Harry Potter Inspired Wedding at the Graduate Eugene
May 27, 2021
How do you combine an elegant ballroom wedding with a fun, Harry Potter vibe? Let me show you!
Dana and Nathan were married at the Graduate Hotel in Eugene, Oregon on a chilly February day. An incredible team of vendors came together to help pull this off, and what an unforgettable day it was! Read on to see all of the beautiful details from this day, captured by Stevi Sayler Photography.
The Graduate has several unique event spaces, and we were able to utilize three of them for this wedding. The ceremony was downstairs on the ground floor in one of the main ballrooms, and guests went next door for the cocktail hour following the ceremony. Then, guests went upstairs for an evening on the top floor with stunning views of the city. Aren’t these ceremony chair tags the best!? Every wedding needs these custom reserved signs for VIP guests! Andrea Woodlee knocked it out of the park with the custom invitation suite, signage, place cards, and so much more. The florals from Flowers & Thyme were absolutely incredible and were weaved throughout all details of the day so perfectly. The color palette for this wedding was so fun and unique, and perfect for a winter wedding! The bride’s favorite color is yellow, so DelJean was sure to include pops of yellow here and there just for Dana. Guests were greeted at their chairs with custom ceremony programs and and custom ribbon wands to wave as the newlyweds came back down the aisle. We created a lounge area with furniture from our rental inventory in the cocktail hour space, where guests mingled, enjoyed drinks and apps, and listened to live music by Delgani String Quartet.What would a Harry Potter-inspired wedding be without boutonnieres with “flying” keys? DelJean knocked it out of the park with these and the flying keys hanging over the candy bar!The ceremony backdrop, inspired by Quidditch hoops, was moved upstairs to make a backdrop for the head table. Such a fun and unique feature that DelJean and her husband custom built just for this wedding. In addition to the yellow florals, DelJean incorporated yellow pears to bring in another pop of yellow on the reception tables. Not only do Dana and Nathan love Harry Potter, but they were also in the process of getting their PhD’s in mathematics! So, we incorporated some fun math details in to the seating chart and table numbers. Each table number was a different equation, and of course their seating chart read “Dana + Nathan = 4Ever.”Centerpieces were a mix of our black lanterns with overflowing florals and tall metal centerpieces with gorgeous florals spilling over the top. I love the look of different centerpiece styles, it definitely helps to break up the space and the design. The cake from Noisette Pastry Kitchen was absolutely unreal with it’s macarons, dried oranges, and florals. And of course, as always, it tasted amazing!Of course we had to have a candy bar a la Bertie Botts. The complete invitation suite included a pocket invitation with details card, custom map of Eugene, RSVP card, custom wax seal, and a custom envelope liner with the Harry Potter-inspired crest that Andrea created. Also, check out those stamps! How perfect!?The rooftop patio on the reception floor was the perfect spot for newlywed photos!
Wow, what a day! I am so grateful to work with such wonderful clients and vendor partners. It was truly a team effort that brought this beautiful day to life. I can’t believe this was already over a year ago! Dana and Nathan celebrated their first anniversary back in February, and I sure hope they look back on their wedding day with as much fondness as I do (I’m pretty certain they do ;))
This is the place where you’ll find my past weddings and events, planning tips and advice, ideas and inspiration for your wedding, and a glimpse into my own life here in Eugene, Oregon. I hope you enjoy my little slice of the web. Happy planning!
