Wedding of William Weasley and Fleur Delacour

"Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"

- The wizard presiding over the wedding

The wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour took place on August 1, 1997 at Bill’s family home of the Burrow in Devon, England. The bride and groom’s younger sisters, Gabrielle Delacour and Ginny Weasley, served as bridesmaids, and Bill's younger brother Charlie served as the best man. The reception was interrupted by the news that Lord Voldemort had taken over the Ministry of Magic, and guests fled as Death Eaters arrived.

Engagement


Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour began dating in the summer of 1995, when they both worked at the London branch of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Within a year, they were engaged, and Fleur spent the summer of 1996 with Bill’s family at the Burrow. The Weasleys were initially not very fond of Fleur, particularly Molly and Ginny. His mother, in addition to disliking Fleur’s blunt manner, thought that they were rushing into things because of the stress of the Second Wizarding War. Ginny considered Fleur a "cow", and wished that her older brother was interested in Nymphadora Tonks instead.

However, after Fleur proved her love for Bill following his scarring by Fenrir Greyback during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower in 1997, the Weasleys accepted her. Molly even asked her to wear a tiara of her aunt Muriel’s for the wedding.

Wedding Preparations
The wedding preparations began in July, and were particularly stressful, considering that Albus Dumbledore had only died shortly beforehand and that the Order of the Phoenix was using the Burrow as its headquarters. The Order also evacuated Harry Potter from his relatives’ home on July 27, leaving the Weasleys with little time to prepare the Burrow. Molly was also keen on trying to keep Harry, Ron, and Hermione separated, as she knew they were planning to go off on their own after the wedding, and refusing to tell her that it was to hunt down and destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes. She had the trio working around the house as much as possible, and always apart.

On the morning two days before the wedding, Fleur’s parents, Monsieur and Apolline Delacour, and her younger sister Gabrielle arrived at the Burrow, which Harry noted had never been so tidy. The rusty cauldrons and boots that were usually on the steps were replaced by Flutterby bushes, the chickens were shut away, and the garden had been pruned. The Burrow also had many security enchantments placed on it by the Order. The Delacours assisted in the final preparations for the wedding.

On July 31, there was a small celebration for Harry’s seventeenth birthday. It was interrupted by Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, who came with Arthur Weasley and insisted upon speaking to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He revealed that Dumbledore had bequeathed items to them in his will, and tried once again to persuade Harry to side with the Ministry of Magic. Disgusted by the Ministry’s secrecy and high-handedness, Harry refused.

Arrival of Guests
"When I get married, I won’t be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I’ll put a Full Body-Bind Curse on Mum until it’s all over."

- Fred Weasley

Bill and Fleur’s wedding began at three o’clock in the afternoon on August 1. Fred, George, Ron, and Harry – disguised as a Weasley cousin by way of Polyjuice Potion and the red hair of a red-haired Muggle boy for security – greeted the guests outside the orchard as they arrived. They all had copies of the seating plan, in order to be able to show guests to the correct golden chair, on either side of the long purple carpet. Inside the marquee, placed there earlier by Millamant's Magic Marquees, were also gold and white flowers. Molly cried a little bit as Percy was the only one who refused to attend.

Fred led away some Veela cousins of the bride, leaving his twin with a “gaggle of middle-aged witches”, Ron with Perkins, and Harry with a “rather deaf old couple”. Harry then spoke to Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, newlyweds themselves, and to Xenophilius and Luna Lovegood. Ron escorted his Great-Aunt Muriel to her seat, and she insulted him – and many others – the entire way. The group was then met by Hermione who was remarked upon as looking very pretty, and the twins told stories about their late uncle Bilius, to everyone's entertainment.

The group’s laughter was interrupted by the arrival of Viktor Krum, who immediately complimented Hermione, much to Ron’s irritation. Harry quickly showed Krum to his seat, and then sat down in the second row with Ron and Hermione, behind the twins.

Ceremony
"“Do you, William Arthur, take Fleur Isabelle…?” In the front row, Mrs. Weasley and Madame Delacour were both sobbing quietly into scraps of lace. Trumpetlike sounds from the back of the marquee told everyone that Hagrid had taken out one of his own tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs. Hermione turned around and beamed at Harry; her eyes too were full of tears. “…then I declare you bonded for life.”"

- Description of Bill and Fleur’s vows

When the guests quieted and the music began, Bill and his best man, his brother Charlie, stood at the end of the aisle. Fleur’s bridesmaids, Gabrielle and Ginny, walked down the aisle in golden dresses. Escorted by her father, Fleur followed, wearing a simple white dress and Muriel’s tiara, and looking radiant.

As the couple began to take their vows, several guests began to cry, including Molly Weasley, Apolline Delacour, Rubeus Hagrid, and Hermione Granger. The wizard presiding over the ceremony waved his wand over the bride and groom’s heads, and a shower of stars fell upon their entwined fingers. Fred and George led the applause, and the golden balloons by the newlyweds burst into tiny golden bells and birds of paradise that flew around the tent, singing.

Reception
"He had never been to a wedding before, so he could not judge how wizarding celebrations differed from Muggle ones, though he was pretty sure that the latter would not involve a wedding cake topped with two model phoenixes that took flight when the cake was cut, or bottles of champagne that floated unsupported through the crowd. As the evening drew in, and moths began to swoop under the canopy, now lit with floating golden lanterns, the revelry became more and more uncontained."

- Harry Potter’s observations during the reception

Once Bill and Fleur’s vows were complete, the chairs were magically removed from the tent, the walls of which were removed, so that the sunlit orchard and surrounding countryside could be seen. A dance floor was formed, along with tables, and waiters entered with trays of beverages and food as the band began to play music. While the newlyweds were surrounded by well-wishers, Ron led Harry and Hermione to Luna Lovegood’s table, partly to avoid Muriel and Viktor Krum.

People began to dance — including Luna by herself and Ginny with Lee Jordan — and Viktor soon came to sit near Hermione. Ron quickly asked her to dance, and she accepted, pleasantly surprised. When Viktor asked if the two were romantically involved, a disguised Harry replied “sort of”. Viktor then pointed out Xenophilius Lovegood and the symbol he wore around his neck, which Viktor identified as the sign of Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald. He then remarked that Ginny was pretty, and Harry, irritated, immediately claimed that she already had a big, jealous boyfriend.

As it grew darker, Harry overheard a conversation between Elphias Doge and his friend Ron's Aunt Muriel, in which the latter made disparaging remarks about the late Albus Dumbledore and his family. This marked the beginning of Harry’s suspicions about what his late mentor had failed to tell him about his past and about the mission he left him. Hermione soon joined Harry while Ron went in search of butterbeers for the three of them.

Disruption
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

- Kingsley Shacklebolt’s Patronus arriving at the reception

The reception was interrupted by the arrival of Kingsley Shacklebolt’s Patronus, which announced that the Ministry of Magic had been taken over by Voldemort, that Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour was dead, and Death Eaters were on their way.

Panic immediately erupted among the guests. Many began Disapparating as the protective enchantments around the Burrow broke. Death Eaters began Apparating into the crowd, Order members such as Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks began casting Shield Charms, and Harry and Hermione pushed through the mob of terrified guests to try to get to Ron. With Harry’s hand in hers and Ron’s on her free arm, Hermione Disapparated the three of them away to Tottenham Court Road, thus beginning their quest to find the Horcruxes.

Those who remained behind were interrogated by the Death Eaters who arrived and who wanted information about Harry. No one was seriously hurt. Arthur Weasley managed to send his Patronus to the trio to tell them this, and to warn them not to try to get into contact, as the Weasley family was subsequently put under surveillance.

Aftermath
Bill and Fleur Weasley set up a new home in Shell Cottage, near the outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall. Their home would be used as a safe house for the Order of the Phoenix playing host to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and others, and is likely where they raised their three children – Victoire, Dominique, and Louis Weasley – after the end of the Second Wizarding War.

Guests

 * Groom’s Guests:
 * Arthur Weasley — father of the groom
 * Molly Weasley — mother of the groom
 * George Weasley
 * Fred Weasley
 * Ron Weasley
 * Muriel
 * An uncle of Bill’s and many cousins
 * Harry Potter (disguised as “Barney Weasley”)
 * Hermione Granger
 * Xenophilius Lovegood
 * Luna Lovegood
 * Remus Lupin
 * Nymphadora Tonks
 * Rubeus Hagrid
 * Lee Jordan
 * Elphias Doge
 * Perkins
 * Bride’s Guests:
 * Monsieur Delacour — father of the bride
 * Apolline Delacour — of the bride
 * Cousins of Fleur’s
 * Viktor Krum
 * Olympe Maxime

Staff

 * The wizard who presided over the ceremony
 * “A host of white-robed waiters”
 * “A golden-jacketed band”

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Behind the Scenes

 * Jenny Packham, who is a well known fashion wedding designer, is designing the outfits for the wedding in the film of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Notes and references
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