Harry Potter themed wedding at Langley Castle, Hexham

School sweethearts 30-year-olds John and Steph Parkins knew it was love at first sight and did not need any love spells to become inseparable.

Steph said: “It was back in 2010 and our first date was at The Gate in Newcastle.

"We have been together ever since though long distance for three years while at university in Manchester and Cambridge.

"In October 2018, we went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York.

"We had lots of things we wanted to see and do, but I really wanted to go and see the statue of Balto - a courageous dog who had endured harsh icy conditions to lead a sled team in delivering medicine to a town.

Steph and Jordan enjoying the first couple of hours of marriage (Image: Neil Denham)

"This was because my favourite film as a kid had been based on the story of Balto, so when John proposed to me on while we were sitting on a small hill next to the statue there was only ever going to be one answer – yes.

"John went to London for his stag do, which started at lunchtime, so it was quite a heavy day for him.

"Aside from lots of food and drink they went to a mini festival and a prison bar called Alcotraz where they all had to dress up in orange jumpsuits.

"Whereas my hen do involved a delicious meal and lots of cocktails at the Alchemist, including some oyster shell cocktails. Of course, there were some rude games(!) and then onto another bar for more drinks."

The pair got married on September 15, 2023, at Langley Castle Hotel, where they decorated the reception room with wands mixed in with their table decorations and a trunk filled with magic items.

Guests entertainment (Image: Neil Denham)

Reflecting on her wedding day Steph said: "The whole day was fantastic. 

"We had a Barn Owl ring bearer who flew down the aisle with our rings in a bag and then flew back.

"We didn’t tell any of our guests about this, so the gasps of surprise were brilliant.

Owl ring bearer (Image: Neil Denham)

"After the wedding our guests could have their photo taken with a smaller Scops Owl called Fuzz which they were delighted about.

"After the ceremony guests enjoyed a glass of Pimm’s and canapes in the drawing room while photos were taken, then we went upstairs to the function room for a delicious three course meal, speeches which included my dad's which went on for 30 minutes and had props followed by a disco.

"We also enjoyed our cake which was made by our friend Rachael. It had three tiers of chocolate, red velvet, and lemon & elderflower.

"It had fresh flowers and got us an engraved wood slice for it to sit on. The finishing touches were a topper with our initials on and a little German Shepherd taking a sneaky bite out of the back to represent our beloved pet dog River!

Steph and John's wedding cake (Image: Neil Denham)

"At the end of the night no one had to travel home as we were all staying in the hotel, so we also got to enjoy a Northumbrian breakfast in the morning and a tour of the castle’s history."

"For our favours, everyone had a Cadbury's chocolate bar with their name on it, so they knew where they were seated, and sugared almonds (which is traditional in Italy, our favourite holiday destination).

"We also gave them a ‘Parkins Potion’ which were some gin liqueurs and brandy that had been flavoured by the fruit grown by John’s parents. We had Rhubarb gin, Blackcurrant gin, and Plum brandy. One of our guests was a baby so he got a little owl toy instead.”