A West Midlands couple have hosted the stage-inspired wedding of their dreams after transforming a Coventry theatre into a Wizard of Oz themed paradise.

Julia McCaughley and Tom Butler have become the first couple to get married at the Albany Theatre in Coventry - which recently became one of the only places in the region where theatre lovers can perform their nuptials on stage.

The pair welcomed 120 guests to the venue, which has undergone a £3m redevelopment, after reimagining its foyer as Dorothy’s home and the tale’s iconic barnyard scenes, and adorning the auditorium with a yellow brick road leading up to a Munchkin Land-themed stage, along with a range of theatre-inspired decorations.

Julia, 32, who is Events Coordinator at the Albany Theatre and an avid theatre lover, got engaged to Tom, 34, in May 2023.

The pair, from Coventry and Solihull respectively, met online during the 2020 lockdown – with Tom proposing on a jam-packed engagement trip which combined Julia’s love of Harry Potter and Disney by visiting Edinburgh and Fort William, which inspired large parts of JK Rowling’s books, aboard the Caledonian Sleeper, before heading to Disneyland Paris.

The theatre, which offers exclusive booking for wedding parties, became an Approved Premises for Marriages and Civil Partnerships earlier this year.

Julia hopes to help more couples host their own dream wedding in the years ahead.

She said: “Our Wedding was so quirky and unique! The fact that we had the whole venue to ourselves meant that we could really put our stamp on it and truly create a wedding that suited our personalities. 

“I couldn’t have asked for a better day and our guests were wowed with all the spacious, themed studio rooms and auditorium, delicious food and cake from Eliza Jade Events and fabulous local entertainment”

“The goal moving forward is to offer value-for-money and a complete blank slate for couples in the region and beyond to host their special day, as we have brilliant connections via road and rail being just an hour from London.

“And while the Albany lends itself to musical theatre-themed weddings, I think it’s a brilliant location to host weddings of all kinds, from intimate gatherings to larger celebrations with or without a theme, especially as you have exclusive access to the venue as standard and lots of recently redeveloped spaces to make use of.”

The summer celebration, complete with a life-sized lion prop and a pet cockapoo starring as Toto, also saw actor Paul Nolan take on the role of toastmaster dressed as the Wizard of Oz.

Local band Function Fever were joined by a pianist and an acapella group to entertain guests, who made journeys across the Channel and the Atlantic to witness the spectacle, which even included a ‘Masked Wedding Singer’ game based on the hit TV show.

For more information about weddings at the Albany Theatre, which can host up to 250 guests, visit www.albanytheatre.co.uk/home/weddings or contact Julia, Wedding Coordinator, directly on weddings@albanytheatre.co.uk