Saturday was a beautiful day celebrating the wedding of gorgeous Ali Glennie to David Williams! I felt especially privileged as Ali asked me to make her cake, which I did gladly. We had great fun talking about her ideas and designs, thinking about how to incorporate elements of her wedding into the cake such as the pearls, ribbon and lace. It even meant I had a sneak preview at her stunningly beautiful dress!
In the end, Ali decided on an elegant 4 tiered cake; 2 tiers of chocolate cake with indulgent chocolate buttercream ganache and 2 tiers of vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream and strawberry jam. I must admit it was very difficult not eating a slice or two whilst baking these cakes! The cakes were simply iced with ivory sugar paste, gold organza ribbon secured around each tier with a pearl pin, and hand-piped pearls around the top of the ribbons. A cream silk rose sat to the side between the first and second tier.
Once the cake had been set up at the venue I could relax! I stored the cake in two separate boxes (tiers 1 and 2 in one box and tiers 3 and 4 on the base board in another) for the car journey up. This is always a fearful time for me, as all manner of mishaps can occur during the journey. Fast bends, bumps in the road, the boxes sliding in the back…I am the passenger nobody wants during cake transportation time! Last year, with help, I managed to deliver and set up a cake to the Isles of Scilly accident free. The cake travelled over land and sea in treacherous conditions and despite a few broken petals I glued back together, all was well! Since then, I have relaxed. Slightly.
With my trusty bag of cake tools, I went about setting up the cake, fixing the tiers together, adding the rose and piping on extra pearls that fell off during the journey. All done!
Making wedding cakes and celebration cakes is a hobby on the side I adore doing. It started several years ago when my Mum remarried and asked me to make cupcakes for her wedding day. I loved it. It was art and food combined. I was hooked, and haven’t looked back since! I practised, practised and practised baking and icing cakes for weddings and birthdays. It wasn’t all smooth running, I cried (several times) when my sugar paste was bumpy, wasn’t large enough to cover the cake, when it cracked and tore, and when the buttercream splurged out of the sides. I can honestly say it took a good couple of years to get icing a cake down to an art, and even now I don’t always get it right. I am always learning.
But once the icing is mastered (or near enough!) you are blessed by a blank canvas with which to work. It’s where the real fun begins for cake decorators!
I am thrilled that Ali loved this cake and I hope everyone enjoyed devouring it too! It is a strange moment when your cake is cut up for consumption; the creation you have spent hours and days lovingly crafting, protecting on the journey from every bump and knock, is quickly sliced up and scoffed in minutes. But that moment soon passes when the enjoyment everyone has from the cake is clear to see and in fact, a cake uneaten is a cake wasted! That is the wonderful thing about edible art; it serves a purpose and it brings tangible joy.
It is also wonderful as it allows you to play a little part in someone’s special day and create a little more joy for them. And joy there most certainly was, as it was a beautiful day all round! It was forecast to rain all day, but not only did the rain hold off but we were graced with moments of sunshine.
The wedding took place in Cirencester, where Ali and her family live (her sister Julia is married to my Dad, who live together near me in Dorset.) The ceremony took place in a beautiful, peaceful little church in the village. After the photographs, the new Mr and Mrs Williams were presented with a glass of champagne and were whisked away in a vintage car back to the family home. Ali’s parents live in a stunning location in Cirencester, where the reception took place in a large marquee in a field behind their home.
It was a beautiful countryside setting for a perfect day. Here are some of the photographs from the day, enjoy!
I just love the back of this dress! Simply stunning.
My lovely Dad!
Thank you so much Mr and Mrs Williams for a very special and wonderful day!
[…] since I’ve had an order for a celebration cake (the most recent was last May for the lovely Ali Williams’ wedding) so I was keen to whip up something special to keep my skills honed. As with most of the […]