Wedding of William Weasley and Fleur Delacour

> "*The entrance to the marquee revealed rows and rows of fragile golden chairs set on either side of a long purple carpet. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers. Fred and George had fastened an enormous bunch of golden balloons over the exact point where Bill and Fleur would shortly become husband and wife. Outside, butterflies and bees were hovering lazily over the grass and hedgerow.*"
> ― The wedding area shortly before the ceremony[source]
>
>

The **Wedding of William Weasley and Fleur Delacour** took place on 1 August, 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.

## History

### Prelude to the wedding

#### Engagement

**Molly Weasley**: "*I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!*"
**Ron Weasley**: "*They've known each other a year.*"
**Molly Weasley**: "*Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and centre...*"
— Bill and Fleur's seemingly rushed engagement[src]
    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. On her hand, Mrs. Weasley tried to hide her disapproval for Bill's engagement saying that her son and Fleur were too young, and also that they did not have so much in common, after all, because Bill was a hard-working man and down-to-earth, but Ginny fairly pointed out that Bill wasn't that much.

**Molly Weasley**: "*Bill and Fleur ... well ... what have they really got in common? He's a hardworking, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's —*"
**Ginny Weasley**: "*A cow. But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour.... I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm.*"
— Mrs Weasley and her daughter discuss Bill's and Fleur's contrasting personalities[src]

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

**Molly Weasley**: "*I'm so sorry to break up this cosy little gathering. I'm sure you all need your rest… but there are wedding presents stacked in my room that need sorting out and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help.*"
**Ron Weasley**: "*It's like being a house-elf. Except without the job satisfaction. The sooner this wedding's over, the happier I'll be.*"
— The numerous wedding preparations[src]

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 27 July, 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 31 July, 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.

### Wedding

#### 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 regarding the wedding[source]
>
>

Bill and Fleur's wedding began at three o'clock in the afternoon on 1 August. 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

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 figured. 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

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[source]
>
>

The reception was interrupted by the arrival of Kingsley Shacklebolt’s Patronus. This interruption caused everyone, even people dancing to freeze in place, because of the surprise it caused. The Patronus then announced that the Ministry of Magic had fallen, as it had been taken over by Voldemort. The Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour was dead and the Death Eaters were currently on their way. Panic immediately erupted among the guests and chaos spread. Many began Disapparating, just as all the protective enchantments around the Burrow broke.

Death Eaters began Apparating into the crowd crashing the reception, 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 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. Protected by the Fidelius Charm, its Secret-Keeper was Bill Weasley. Their home would be used as a safe house for the Order of the Phoenix playing host to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and others, after they escaped the cellar of Malfoy Manor. The cottage is likely where they raised their three children — Victoire, Dominique, and Louis Weasley — after the end of the Second Wizarding War in May 1998.

## Known attendees

### Guests

**Groom's Guests:**

* Arthur Weasley - father of the groom.
* Molly Weasley - mother of the groom.
* Charlie Weasley - brother of the groom, best man.
* Ron Weasley - brother of the groom.
* Fred and George Weasley - brothers of the groom.
* Ginny Weasley - sister of the groom, bridesmaid.
* Arthur Weasley's brothers - uncles of the groom.
* Muriel - great-great-aunt of the groom.
* An uncle of Bill's and many cousins.
* Percy Weasley - brother of the groom, ignored invitation and did not attend.
* Harry Potter (disguised as cousin "Barny Weasley") - family friend.
* Hermione Granger - family friend.
* Xenophilius Lovegood - family friend.
* Luna Lovegood - family friend.
* Remus Lupin - family friend.
* Nymphadora Tonks - family friend.
* Rubeus Hagrid - family friend.
* Lee Jordan - friend of George and Fred.
* Elphias Doge - friend of Albus Dumbledore.
* Perkins - fellow-worker of Arthur Weasley.

**Bride's Guests:**

* Monsieur Delacour - father of the bride.
* Apolline Delacour - mother of the bride.
* Gabrielle Delacour - sister of the bride, bridesmaid.
* Cousins of the bride (they are Veela).
* Viktor Krum - friend of the bride.
* Olympe Maxime - former headmistress of the bride.

### Staff

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