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A Harry Potter-mad bride married her childhood sweetheart in a themed wedding which included owls and her sister dressed as Hogwarts' headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

Leah Parker, 37, and Dax Rice, 38, from Horninglow in Burton tied the knot on Saturday at the National Brewery Centre - chosen for the steam engine outside which looks like the Hogwarts Express.

Everything from the wedding invitations to the cars, the bridesmaids' dresses to the food was all Harry Potter themed – even though the groom has never read the books or seen any of the films.

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Leah, who makes Hula Hoops at the KP Snacks factory in Ashby, explained that she and Dax, a scaffolder, met at de Ferrers Academy in Burton at the age of 11.She said: "I liked him at school, but we weren't together.

"After school he moved to live in Melton Mowbray, but came back to Burton for a funeral of a friend. I noticed on Facebook that he was in the area, and I messaged him to say that if he wanted a shoulder to cry on then we could go for a drink, and we kept in touch."

After just nine months together, Dax got down on one knee at his mum's house in Horninglow on Boxing Day and asked Leah to marry him.

Despite Dax having never seen any of the films or read the books, he agreed for Leah to organise a Harry Potter-themed wedding. However, he put his foot down when she suggested Harry Potter World in America for the honeymoon, so the pair will be jetting off to Mexico instead.

Leah said: "I've been mad about Harry Potter since the books came out. I just think it's a bit magic, and I started collecting Harry Potter items a few years ago. I have all the books, films, games, stationary sets, wands and merchandise.

"I've seen people having themed weddings and I thought 'I could do that'. I want a wedding to remember. Dax agreed as long as he had nothing to do with it. When he saw the decorations he was a bit shocked."

Leah and Dax will live together with her two children Honie, 10, and three-year-old Oliver, and dog Snape.

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