Fiona and I at her Hen Party, Dingle, May 2015.
I have reached the point in my life where my friends have started getting engaged and married. I have always loved weddings from reading about them, attending them and even planning them (come on ladies who hasn't been planning their wedding since they were a little girl?). There is something very special about attending the wedding of someone you love but even more being part of the wedding of someone you love.
This photo was taken the day after our Debs, 2006!!
Myself and Fiona, London, 2009.
I met Fiona over 11 years ago in school and our friendship was sealed over crusty rolls and chicken wings when we worked together in our local supermarket deli. Fiona lived outside of our town and I was in walking distance to work so early shifts (coupled with nights out before) meant Fiona stayed at my house quite a lot.. which is where she met Bommie. Bommie (Thomas) was friends with my brother Darragh and Bommie was also living outside of town so he also spent a lot of time at our house. I don't know when the two of them fell for each other but I do know that just over 9 years ago they had a sneaky little kiss on our front porch and the rest is history. They married on the 14th of this month in a beautiful ceremony in Abbeyside and then onto the most wonderful reception in the Radisson Blu, Little Island, Cork.
Mr and Mrs Kiely heading off to their Wedding Reception
When Fiona rang me 2 years ago and asked me to be her bridesmaid it was a resounding YES from me. She was the first of my close school friends to get married and we were all beyond excited for the big day. I remember Fiona saying from the beginning that they did not want a big wedding cake but a desert table with a small token cake to cut. When they asked me to bake this cake I was absolutely thrilled to say yes.. although a little unnerved! It's one thing to bake a cake for a party but a wedding? This was a first!!
Having discussed it with the happy couple they decided on a two tier buttercream cake, lemon on one tier and chocolate on the other. As I live in London it was difficult to have a tasting so they put their full faith in me from the get go.. no pressure!! I decided on a 10" lemon sponge filled with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream, covered in vanilla buttercream on the lower tier. For the top tier an 8" chocolate sponge filled with chocolate buttercream and covered in vanilla buttercream. Then we had some beautiful fresh flowers from Fiona's florist to decorate.
Mrs Kiely and I, August 14th, 2015.
The wedding was taking place on a Friday so I had initially decided on making the sponges the weekend before and freezing them which I had read on a number of blogs. Unfortunately this would not have worked out as our freezer at home was just too small and full for this. In the end I made the sponges on Wednesday, let them cool and wrapped tightly in cling film overnight. I then filled and assembled the cakes on Thursday ready for fresh flowers on Friday.
The finished product!
As I started to assemble the cakes on Thursday I thought to myself in the morning "This is going well". Spoke too soon. The weather decided to be unusually hot for Ireland those few days running up to the wedding.. as any baker will agree.. not ideal temperatures to be working with buttercream! With only one meltdown and an emergency trip into town for the lemon curd (thanks mum!) I got there in the end. I think I just wanted it to be perfect for Fiona and Bommie and when things weren't going well I panicked. I honestly would not have coped had it not been for my mum being my own personal cheerleader behind me all the way. Six batches of buttercream later the cake was done and chilling in the fridge and I could go and check up on the bride on the eve of her wedding.
Thank you to Mum and Dad for getting the cake to venue and Mum again for placing the flowers on the cake while I was glamming it up and sipping Prosecco with the bridal party :) ! The appreciation from the Bride and Groom made every bit of it worth it. The hotel even kept them back 2 slices of each when they were cutting it up and they enjoyed every bite of it the day after. Wishing Fiona and Bommie the worlds love and happiness for the rest of their married lives. Love you guys and thanks again for such an amazing weekend!!
Let them eat cake!
I'm back..
O x
