29 Apr 2011

Hestia and...The Royal Wedding Tea Party

My cupcakes, my cupcakes!!!!
My girlfriend, Calynn, is a wonderful hostess.  She organises weddings and miscellaneous parties and so I was delighted to be invited to a Royal Wedding Tea Party  'hats compulsory'.  This is after all, the Duke of Rothesay's Scottish seat (Chuck is not called The Prince of Wales when he comes north, but the Duke of Rothesay).  Calynn would not let this day go unmarked in this town of NO STREET PARTIES.....



This morning I showered, straightened my hair (burned myself several times in the process) painted my toenails Chanel Dragon and unhooked my Wedding Dress from the hanger (that Monsoon one, you know -- the only one I've got) and slipped it on.  I pulled up the zip and.....well it just wouldn't fasten.

Even exhaling all my breath and yanking AND praying, it would not come to the top of the zipper.

Time for Plan B

Except there is no Plan B......

I have one other dress that is very forgiving - an ancient floral M&S Tea-dress that was bought before the current Royal groom was born.  It lay on the bottom of the wardobe - crumpled and slightly 'wardroby' in aroma.

Nevertheless, I whisked it through to the office and started ironing for all I was worth, whilst simultaneously throwing my soap-dodging son into the shower.

I gingerly slipped into the Tea-frock and buttoned it up.  It fitted! Mostly.

Make up on, cupcakes packed, son packed, training shoes on for driving, gold high heels packed...off we went.

What a sight greeted us, the marquee had blown itself to shreds during the night. Carlynn hastily reconvened everything to her home and we settled down with our strawberries, chocolates and bucks fizz to watch the day.

C being an incredibly organised woman (she really IS a Hestia) had organised a Flip video from Channel 4 so that we could film ourselves at all the appropriate moments for a documentary - seeing the frock for the first time,  the man and wife bit, the kiss on the balcony.....

It was wonderful.  I cannot summon up a single cynical bone about today's events.  William and Kate clearly adore each other, the service was beautiful, she was stunning, her family looked wonderful...it was just GREAT!

There's no doubt about it, the UK can really do fabulous pomp and circumstance.

Here's a selection of pix.  Basically I only photographed the food *shrug* that's why the dress didn't zip up in the first place.  I like my grub.



Every horizontal surface had food on it.
My gallstones hated this spread, but I loved it!

Lidl's finest!


These are my cupcakes, in the middle and bottom tiers 
(just the ones with the red, white and blue baubles)

More of my cupcakes

Did you enjoy the day? Tell me what you got up to!  If we make it on to the Channel 4 documentary, I promise to let you know ;-)

11 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Looks like a lovely spread. I sat at home in front of the telly...on my own with my flag, tea & cucumber sarnies.

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  3. What, no photo of you in your hat?

    The food looks gorgeous. I've done nowt but eat all day and I'm still hungry after looking at all those cakes!

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  4. This looks like a very good do, adorned by your superb cupcakes! Sure you had loads of fun - wasn't it lovely? - hope you turn up on Channel 4! :)

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  5. Looks like a fun time. I watched the tapped wedding in the morning before work. What with the time difference and all it wasn't really a social hour. I would have loved a hat wearing, cupcake eating, and socializing occasion.

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  6. Ali, it looks fab!

    My boss had a party yesterday, so I was sort of a paid guest. I was at the party but I helped out with the food and children. I also helped out with drinking champagne and eating food and cake!

    I am not a royalist at all, but I really do wish them well. When he said 'one more kiss?' to her on the balcony, I almost died of cute! They both just looked so happy!

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  7. Those cupcakes look superb and the whole spread looks fabulous, definately worthy of a TV broadcast.
    What a blow about the dress, I wish you'd have posted a picture of your hat. xxx

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  8. Vix - I do actually have a photo of me in my emergency tea-dress, but all my lippy is off and I look like a portly vampire. Albeit one with gold shoes.

    LM - I missed him saying that, although I saw both kisses. Uber-cute!

    Implausible Yarn - we had such a good time that I think some of us might instate a monthly tea-party with baking and hats. Just for the hell of it.

    Mrs E - We tried very hard not to be terrible, but there was just one shot too many of Elton John and we could not keep the cat-calling down for the third shot. I am convinced that this is the only part they will use in the programme.

    Alex - I might take a photo of the hat. I had two, but wore my little sun hat - which went better with the tea-dress. I looked like something from World At War.

    Sage - wasn't it lovely. I love a cucumber sarny, me.

    Ali xxxxx

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  9. Sorry Ali X, I just cannot relate to this Royal Party stuff. I'd bet that only ladies were present?
    Blokes would tend to drift of to the pub.

    How did Sonshine cope?

    I bet he enjoyed the cupcake making and icing, but the rest?

    Poor wee soul.

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  10. It was a fabulous day...lots of happy smiles and good feelings...and who couldn't use that right now!
    Your cupcakes look fab! My eldest daughter threw a RW party at her house. Having lived in London for 8 years and the daughter of a Brit (me) she does have the love of pomp and circumstance running through her veins.
    Hope you make the Channel 4 broadcast...be sure and let V and I know if you do!

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  11. Dearest Ali, I think you've done a wonderful job with the cupcakes. The food looks lovely.

    I had such a good day with my friends. Slightly hampered by being stuck to Twitter but I had a break to make the hedgehog!

    Let's catch up on the phone soon. Email or text me when you're free. Love, C xx

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