I do love a wedding... even if it is staged!!

Hyde Barn in Stow on the Wold is a brand new, custom built wedding destination and when it's completed in May this year it will be the place to tie the knot with beautiful views of the rolling Cotswolds and I, for one literally cannot wait to see it finished!!
Annie and her team have thought of everything, including my all time favourite detail… the over sized bridal toilet cubicle to accommodate bride plus dress… genius!!

In order to advertise the destination, a staged wedding and photo shoot were organised by Sarah at Nicole James Photography, bringing together some fantastically creative talent within the wedding organisation business. Flowers were beautifully arranged, invitations designed, cute bunting draped, and absolutely beautiful wedding dresses modelled.  The dresses being the part of the day that made me flush with envy at the models... I've worn a wedding dress once in my life... but that's a story for another time, I digress... all the suppliers for the day are listed below :)

The Coloured Bubble Cakery was asked to provide wedding cupcakes and I jumped at the chance... it's not everyday that a professional wedding photographer offers to shoot your products is it?!

The entire day was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, getting involved with setting up scenes, holding billowing veils out of shot, even donating my lovely bike, ‘The Duchess’ for a couple of the more contemporary shots and modelling with the cupcakes myself, although I’m undecided if I will show those photos, I need to vet them first, I blush to think that at least one of them involves me draped over a country bench, cupcake in hand!!

I can honestly say that I laughed all day and made some lovely new friends along the way.

These are my cupcakes, only a quick snap that I took myself, although I’ll update this post when I get a selection of the professional photos… not necessarily including any of me!! J

www.hydebarn.co.uk

www.nicolejames.co.uk – Wedding Photography

www.thecotswoldfrockshop.co.uk - Dresses & Shoes

www.annawhite.co.uk : Hair and Makeup

www.cotswoldblooms.com - Flowers

www.weddingcakesgloucestershire.co.uk - Cake

www.houseofistria.com - Hair Accessories

www.montaguepress.co.uk - Stationary

www.archibald-edwards.co.uk - Stationary

www.weddingdaysofcheltenham.co.uk - Grooms Wear

www.excelsiorevents.com - Chair Covers

Valentine's Competition...

ITS COMPETITION TIME AGAIN!!! :)
Who fancies winning a Beautiful Gift Box of 6 Valentine Cupcakes plus a delicious Valentine meal for two at The Spice Lodge, Cheltenham?!

Here’s the deal…
Post a comment explaining why you & your beloved deserve to win this spectacular Valentine Treat onto the cakery's facebook wall, get your friends to vote by ‘liking’ your post and quite simply, the post with the most votes wins!!  Easy Squeezy :)

 

'R' initial can be any initial you'd like!

 

As ever there are a couple of terms & conditions…
Closing date for entries & voting is 7pm 10th Feb 2012, with the winner to be announced shortly after.
Meal for two to be devoured 14th Feb 2012 only.
Travel to Spice Lodge, Cheltenham is not included.

www.spicelodge.com

TVR Cupcakes for a 50th

My Grandfathers Funeral Cake

On the very first morning of 2012 my 94 year old grandfather Cecil sadly passed away, following his dear wife's passing just 8 weeks earlier.

A grand old age I'm sure you'll agree and he left the earthly plain richer by 7 children, so many grandchildren that I daren't count, not to mention great-grandchildren!!

The funeral was held in the family village of Bourton on the Water and as per his wishes as little money as possible was spent on catering.  This meant that each family member that was able, provided a dish or two to the cause, including a delicious quiche by my brother, scrumptious salads by my sister and literally hundreds of sandwiches and rolls from my mother!!
I'm still working my way through left over sandwiches and scones as we could've fed the 5000 and I know he would be pleased to look down on us and see that definitely no food was wasted.

I was assigned the task of a cake, a traditional victoria sponge to compliment my auntie's scones & cupcakes which made me consider at last just what would be appropriate as a funeral cake. 
After consulting Google images and deciding against a full scale model of my grandfather himself, I kept it plain, monochromatic and as tasteful as possible, in fact I think it would also double as a beautifully simple wedding cake.  It's a celebration of a long life after all, so I wanted to avoid the dreary, the overly flashy and as I later concluded, absolutely no words were necessary.

Here is my grandfather's cake...

Cecil Minchin 1917 - 2012

A much loved husband of the late Joyce, father, grandfather and

 great-grandfather who will be sadly missed.

Moshi Monsters & Friends Cupcakes

Blue Daleks

Moshi Monsters, Nipper and Snookums

Penguins

Ravin' Rabbids

Tigers

Valentine's Cupcakes...

Available to order for your beloved now!!!

Box of 6 £18 (+£4 p&p)

Box of 12 £30 (+£6.50 p&p)

Rob's 60th Jet Plane

Barbara's husband Rob loves jet planes, he has all sorts of them covering the walls of his office sowhen his 60th birthday approached it was obvious what theme his cake should take...

Tracey's 40th Birthday Cake...Cake!!

When my neighbour approached me and asked me to make his wife Tracey's 40th Birthday cake I immediately asked what kind of cake she would like, unfortunately, like most men I know... he had absolutely no idea.  We looked through a few designs and came up with the idea of a bright & colourful two tiered cake along the lines of something I thought she would like... my eyes widened at the prospect of the full artistic licence and I set about making her the cake that I wanted to make her... and this is it.

I absolutely loved making this cake, it was so much fun, with fabulous lime green, raspberry pink and vanilla sponge colours... finished with a white iced board and pure white ribbon it looks so yummy.

Tracey was thrilled, and I quote...

"OH MY GOD was all I could say when this cake was brought out to me, what a fantastic creation, thank you so so much you made my birthday even more perfect! Will send a piece over xxx"

This is what it's all about, the amazingly fulfilling satisfaction of making someone's day :)