Tag Archive for: wedding

Real Wedding – Laura and Gregory at Adare Manor

Be prepared for some Pinterest-worthy imagery in today’s post! Delighted to share with you some images by award-winning fine art photographer, Laura Gordon, of clients Laura and Gregory’s destination wedding at the stately Adare Manor in Co. Limerick.

The Venue
Adare Manor Hotel

Laura, Gregory and their guests travelled from the United States for their wedding at the stunning Adare Manor, an impeccably restored manor house on stately grounds, renowned for its service and hospitality.

The Style

Wedding InvitationsThey enlisted the help of wedding stylist Lindsay of House of Hannah Events, who is renowned for her attention to detail and refined style, to coordinate and create their vision for a timelessly elegant wedding day. Laura and Gregory just marriedA colour palette of peaches, dusty pinks, caesious and cottage blues was most evident in the flowers by Floral Earth and was simultaneously fresh, modern and refined. What a gorgeous photo!Bridal partyLaura and her stylish bridesmaids.Wedding reception flowersFurther breathtaking floral installations adorned the staircase and sumptuous dining room, creating a summer garden feel. I was blown away when I came to deliver the cake! Wedding reception place settingsPlace settings were exquisitely styled  by Lindsay with soft grey linen and candles, gold cutlery and caesious blue charger plates.

The Cake

Wedding cakeFor the cake, Laura and Gregory chose a 3-tier design with a soft caesious blue deckled edge fondant base tier and semi-iced upper tiers, adorned with some stunning fresh flowers in a palette of dusty pinks and cottage blue by Floral Earth. Flavours were Lime White Chocolate Pistachio and Lemon Blueberry Coconut, deliciously fresh and summer flavours. And I just love this cake cutting photo! Cutting the cake

Testimonial

“Thank you so much for the beautiful cake! It was delicious!! Thank you so much for making it a very seamless process to work with you. That makes all the difference! “

Laura and Gregory, 2019

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It was a delight to work with Laura and Gregory on their wedding cake. If this wedding has you swooning, check out some more Cove Cake Design real weddings!

Suzanne, x

 

 

Elegant Real Weddings Cove Cake Design

Elegant Real Weddings with Adam and Grace Photography

It is always a delight to receive wedding photos from photographers and clients! So many months are spent working closely on a wedding cake design, it is exciting to finally see the cake in the context of a beautiful wedding day and blissfully happy clients.

Today I am sharing two gorgeously elegant weddings from 2019 photographed by the supremely talented Adam and Grace Photography, who masterfully capture weddings in a candid timeless style.

Moya and Andrew, Mount Juliet. Adam and Grace Photography

Moya and Andrew were married last spring in the stately surrounds of Mount Juliet Estate, Kilkenny. I have had the pleasure of knowing Moya for a few years now, having made a few celebration cakes for her business and personal events. Moya is the founder of Avenue Interior Design, a design studio that creates interior spaces that are comfortable and inviting, with a signature relaxed and refined style. Enlisting the help of wedding stylist Betty Williamson and florist The Wild Bunch, this style was translated into a wedding that exuded minimilast sophistication.Bride and groom

The beautiful blossom trees on the grounds of Mount Juliet provided nature’s perfect floral arch for portraits.

Mount Juliet wedding venue

The wisteria-clad front of Mount Juliet House.

Wedding stationery

A pinterest-worthy flatlay.

Wedding reception

Relaxed and informal flowers in the inviting dining space of Hunter’s Yard, Mount Juliet and Moya’s beautiful bouquet.Bridal bouquet

For their cake, Moya and Andrew chose a cake table, incorporating a main cake, minimalist in style and adorned with sugar flowers, as well as two side cakes, mini-cakes and macarons. With flavours including Champagne Elderflower Strawberry, Orange Cardamom Rose and Chocolate Orange Olive Oil Hazelnut Rosemary, the table was no doubt a treat for guests!

Wedding cake

Cake cutting

It was style, but most certainly not over substance – our guests were raving about the cakes and the delicious flavours and they still are”.

Moya and Andrew

 

John and Siobhan, Clonwilliam House. Adam and Grace Photography

Siobhan and John were married on a warm August day at one of my favourite venues, Clonwilliam House, (I always wish I could just move in when I deliver there!).  Clonwilliam is a family-owned stately home in a peaceful and private setting with a stunning vista over the lush green countryside of County Wicklow.  When I was delivering the cake I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Siobhan leaving that morning for the ceremony in a vintage red open-topped car…how fun!

Clonwilliam House

The grounds of the house provided the perfect backdrop for beautifully candid photos.

Bride and groom

The detail on Siobhan’s dress is just stunning.

Bridal bouquet

…and I just love her romantic bouquet of tied roses in pale pink hues!Wedding flowers

Beautiful flowers in shades of pink by Frog Prince Weddings adorned the house and the romantically dining space in the converted barn.Wedding reception

For their cake John and Siobhan chose a single tall tier of Guinness Chocolate with Roasted White Chocolate Cake, adorned in blush marble icing, gold leaf and pretty fresh flowers. Accompanying Champagne and Strawberry macarons created a sweet choice for guests that evening!Wedding cakeWedding dress details

We loved our wedding cake! Not only did it look fab but it tasted so delicious it didn’t last very long! Suzanne was so easy to work with, she is a professional artist and created exactly what we wanted. Thank you!”

Siobhan and John

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It was such a delight to work with these two couples on their wedding cakes. If you loved these too, be inspired by more real weddings and Cove Cake Design Cakes.

Suzanne x

 

 

Real wedding inspiration Cove Cake Design

Real Wedding Inspiration – Three of my favourites from 2018

Be prepared for some gorgeous real wedding inspiration in today’s post! It is always a delight to receive wedding photos from clients. So many months are spent working closely on their wedding cake design, it is exciting to finally see those plans come to fruition but also to see the cake in the context of a beautiful wedding day. Today I am sharing three of many stunning real weddings from 2018!

Real Wedding Inspiration: Sharon and James 

This wedding was close to my heart as Sharon is actually my sister-in-law and my little girl was one of the flower girls. Sharon was the most relaxed bride and it showed, she glowed with happiness! The venue was Harvey’s Point hotel on the shores of Lough Eske which allowed for stunning photos by Ghorm Studio Photography in the surrounding mountains. The all-important cake was inspired by Sharon’s gorgeous dress, with applique lace and sugar flowers.  Family weddings are always exciting and I can testify that Sharon and James’ was an incredible weekend of celebration!

Real wedding Sharon and James Bride and bridesmaid Sharon and James cake cutting Wedding cake cutting Cove Cake Design

Real Wedding Inspiration: Rebecca and Fred 

Rebecca, along with her mother, runs Hedgeroe Home, a Dublin-based interiors and lifestyle store. It was no surprise then to see Rebecca’s unique sense of style translate into her stunning wedding which was held in a marquee in the grounds of her family home. I mean look at her dress…divine! Ferns were the theme of the day, and the inspiration for the cake design, which featured a modern geometric pattern juxtaposed with fern moulding. Stunning photography by Paula McManus.

Bride and groom Rebecca and Fred Wedding marquee Rebecca and FredGeometric wedding cake Cove Cake Design

I was delighted to see Rebecca and Fred’s wedding featured in Social and Personal Magazine…what a lovely feature!Wedding publication

Real Wedding Inspiration: Suzanne and Eamon 

Suzanne and Eamon traveled from America to celebrate their wedding with 400 guests at one of Ireland’s finest venues, the gorgeous Adare Manor. Living in America the bride and groom enlisted talented wedding planner, Alise Taggart, to coordinate their day. I worked with Alise in the design of their cake which drew inspiration from the elegant surroundings of the venue, with a gold leaf tier and soft sugar flowers in shades of blush, reflecting the wedding flowers by The Informal Florist. A monogram featured on their invitations was also incorporated into their cake design.

Adare Manor Wedding Venue Bridal bouquet Suzanne Wedding invitations Suzanne and Eamon Bride and groom Suzanne and Eamon Adare Manor Wedding Reception Luxurious wedding cake Cove Cake Design

With photography by renowned photographer Taylor and Porter, it was no surprise that this  beautiful wedding was featured on prestigious wedding blog, US Brides
Brides magazine wedding feature Cove Cake Design

Thank you to all my wonderful 2018 clients, it has been a pleasure to work with each and every one! Looking forward to all of 2019’s orders!

For more real weddings check out the weddings and testimonials page.

Suzanne, x

Secret Garden Wedding Inspiration Shoot

Secret Garden Wedding Inspiration

I had the pleasure of being invited to collaborate on a photo shoot last July designed and planned by the talented Grace and Saviour Styling and photographed by Paula O’Hara Photography.  I am in love with this one and thrilled to see the full shoot now published on prestigious wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes.  In this blog post I wanted to give a little insight into the inspiration for the shoot and corresponding brief for the cakes…with a sneak peak of the result!

The inspiration for the shoot was ‘ vintage botanical illustrations from the 18th century’. The brief was dreamy,  ‘..to convey the wedding of a cool, relaxed, slightly bohemian couple who get married in a beautifully ramshackle glass house in a country pile…overgrown gardens and slightly too warm, glistening skin’.  The shoot was to feel earthy and relaxed so I created a mood board for the cakes, drawing on pretty, informal and delicious looking cakes as inspiration, with natural florals for decoration.

Mood board:

Secret Garden Location

The ‘country pile’ was Carncairn Lodge in Northern Ireland, an Irish Manor house with a beautiful garden and rambling greenhouse.  It was a glorious July day, creating the perfect atmosphere to convey a relaxed summer garden wedding. The shoot was centred around the greenhouse which was styled by Grace for an informal wedding lunch with draped linen, relaxed flowers, candles and fruits.

Secret Garden Wedding Cakes

For the cakes, I opted for a trio for an informal sweet table concept. A main textured iced cake adorned with oversized garden blooms styled by Grace was accompanied by un-iced Chocolate Salted Caramel and Prosecco Peach Thyme cakes (for more of our delectable cake flavours check our our menu!). Purposefully oozing peach and thyme jam, a cake slice, and the exposed chocolate cake layers were chosen to convey delicious homemade and summery sweet treats. 

Secret Garden Wedding Inspiration Team

This gives a little taste of what’s to come in this gorgeous summery shoot which features signature informal flowers by Petal Studio  exquisite gowns by Ivory and Pearl, stationary by Lenka Calligraphy, hair by Lynette Murray, and make up by Jennifer Ireland. To swoon over the full shoot head on over to Green Wedding Shoes!

Let’s Talk Waste

Much attention has been focused of late on the scourge of plastics in our oceans and environment, with dire consequences for future generations unless we take action. Living beside the sea, we see at first hand the waste that is routinely washed up on our little stretch of coast. Since last year my family has worked to take one small step at a time to reduce plastic use, and waste in general, in our home, each thing we eliminate is one less piece of plastic or waste in our environment.

It was inspiring to learn of the recent launch of a Green initiative in my local villages of Glasthule and Sandycove (the latter after which my own business is named!) aimed at tackling waste.  ‘Glasthule Sandycove Going Green’ sees businesses aiming to reduce waste, focusing on plastics first. Businesses signed up to the initiative are pledging to replace at least three of their single use plastic items with biodegradable alternatives in 2018. To coincide with this I have taken a look at my own business to see if I can further reduce waste.

Cove Cake Design is a small home based business who supplies clients directly. The direct delivery of the majority of my products, wedding cakes, to a venue means there is thankfully little to no packaging involved in these orders…I take back my transport box to use again. Cakes that are collected are packaged in cardboard boxes which can be recycled. In terms of my supplies, I try to shop for ingredients locally and seasonally (and in small quantities to avoid potential food waste), choosing products not in plastic where possible. Any food waste is composted (and I keep this to a minimum, carefully quantifying recipes so that there isn’t an excess) and anything that can be recycled is.

There is always room for improvement though and I have been taking further steps to reduce waste (even though some only small I think even saving one item from waste is an achievement!)

  • I am in the process of sourcing biodegradable cellophane for my cake samples in my sample boxes. This is one area of my business where I do us packaging and I hence need to minimise waste from this.
  • I have started using a washing up liquid that comes in a container which is made from 100% recycled plastic and can be recycled again itself.
  • I switched from antibacterial soap in a plastic pump bottle in my kitchen to an antibacterial soap bar that comes packaged in a box.
  • I have switched from purchasing plastic milk containers to tetra pak cartons which have a better water and carbon footprint than plastic.
  • I have discovered a farmer in my local market who takes my old egg box cartons to re-use to sell his eggs…even though I always recycled them before to have them re-used is a much better circular system!
  • I have reduced the amount of paperwork that I print, backing up certain files electronically that I used to print a hard copy of too.
  • I am determined to work with suppliers and make complaints where excess packaging is used in my orders, shopping elsewhere if necessary! (Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows how much this upsets me!)

I have been inspired by others and I hope this little post can inspire too. I also want my clients to have confidence in knowing that when they buy a cake from Cove Cake Design I am conscious of doing my best to minimise any waste produced in the process!

Suzanne x

 

Hazelnut Chocolate Orange Macarons

I made these macarons as my edible Christmas gifts last year. The combination of chocolate and hazelnut is a well renowned match made famous of course by Nutella! The addition of orange zest adds a fresh twist and the decoration of dipped chocolate coated in crunchy hazelnut praline adds an additional layer of flavour and luxury….the perfect gift and indeed luxurious teatime treat! Enjoy!

Hazelnut Macarons with Chocolate Orange Ganache and Hazelnut Praline

Ingredients for the Hazelnut Macarons:

  • 50g hazelnuts
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 x 40g egg white

Ingredients for the Chocolate Orange Ganache:

  • 110g 70% dark chocolate
  • 100ml pouring cream
  • 10g caster sugar
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • finely grated zest 1 orange

Ingredients for the Hazelnut Praline Decoration:

  • 100g 70% dark chocolate, melted
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 75g skinned toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Step 1: To make the hazelnut macarons, preheat the oven to 170°C/315F.  .

Step 2: Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and place in the oven for approx 10-15mins, shaking every few minutes to turn. Take care  not to burn. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before placing in a clean tea towel and rubbing to remove the skin.

Step 3: Place the skinned hazelnuts, ground almonds and icing sugar into a blender and grind to a fine powder. Sieve into a clean metal bowl, discarding any large particles. Add 1 x 40g egg white and mix to form a paste (called the tant pour tant). Set aside.

Step 4: Clean the inside of the metal bowl of a food mixer and the whisk attachment with lemon juice or boiling water to remove all traces of grease. Wipe with paper towel. Place the second 40g egg white into the bowl.

Step 5: Place the caster sugar and water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, swirling now and then to ensure even heating.

Step 6: Meanwhile whisk the egg white to soft peaks. When the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches 105°C, increase the speed and whisk to stiff peaks. When the syrup reaches 115°C, remove from the heat and pour the syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites. Whisk for approximately 10mins until thick and glossy.

Step 7: Add about a third of the meringue mixture to the hazelnut/almond mixture and fold in to loosen. Then add the rest of the meringue mixture, folding in until it has a ‘flow’ similar to consistency of lava.

Step 8:  Fit a piping bag with an 8mm round nozzle and pour in the batter. Pipe small well-spaced rounds of batter approximately the size of  a walnut onto a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet (if you don’t have a silicone mat use baking parchment and attach the corners to the tray with a small blob of the batter). Tap the trays on the counter 3-4 times to remove air bubbles. If any fail to pop use a cocktail stick to do so. Leave to form a ‘skin’ for approx 25-45mins depending on ambient temperature and humidity (test by touching gently with the tip of your finger, if skin has formed your finger should come away clean).

Step 9: Bake in the oven for 12-15mins, turning the tray half-way through. Leave to cool completely on the tray before removing.

Step 10: To make the chocolate orange ganache, place the orange zest and cream in a saucepan and heat gently until warm. Remove from the heat and allow the orange to infuse for 1hr. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the orange zest.

Step 11: Add the sugar to the cream and reheat.

Step 12: Meanwhile place the chocolate into a mixing bowl.

Step 13: Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted.

Step 14: Finally add the butter and stir to combine. Allow to cool and refrigerate for approximately one hour before filling the macarons

Step 15: To make the hazelnut praline, heat the caster sugar in a small saucepan until dissolved. Swirl gently to ensure even heating. When the syrup is a golden brown colour, remove from the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts. Stir with a spatula before transferring to a piece of baking parchment to cool. When cool, break into a food processor and pulse gently to form a medium coarse powder.

Step 16: To finish the macarons, dip half the macaron shells in the melted chocolate and place on a piece of baking parchment. Sprinkle with the hazelnut praline and leave to set.

Step 17: Using a piping bag fitted with an 8mm nozzle, fill the other half of the macaron shells with the chocolate orange ganache and place the chocolate praline coated shells on top. Place the macarons in the refrigerator. They are best eaten after 24 hours and within 72 hours of filling.

Image Brides Alchemy Editorial Shoot

Having always been a fan of the chic Irish fashion and lifestyle magazine, Image, it is no surprise that it’s sister magazine, Image Brides, has become my go-to read for following trends and finding inspiration in the wedding industry. It was hence a delight to have been invited to design a cake for an editorial in their current Winter/Spring edition.

The shoot took place at one of Ireland’s most exclusive wedding venues, Clonwilliam House, a gorgeous country house set amongst wooded hills in the Vale of Avoca in Co. Wicklow. Meticulously renovated and decorated, Clonwilliam exudes contemporary glamour in stunning period surroundings…I had serious house envy! (Image courtesy of One Fab Day).

clonwilliam-house-chandeliers

The theme of the shoot was ‘Alchemy’, with styling by Ciara O’Halloran of Style Serendipity, who specialises in beautiful wedding, interior and food styling.  Her brief and mood board were tantalising.  With inspiration taken from the earthy magic of crystal and mineral stones, the look was about capturing the simplicity and beauty of natural elements, with delicate jewellery , large blooming flowers and bohemian gowns in shades of ‘rose quartz, rich cream, shimmering gold and crystal grey’ creating an ‘effortlessly luxe’, romantic, mysterious and enchanting mood.

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The photographer for the shoot was the talented Christina of Brosnan Photographic. Having admired her light, relaxed photography for some time I was thrilled to finally get the opportunity to work with her. It was a delight to watch Ciara and Christina at work throughout the morning and the final photos from the shoot were undoubtedly stunning!….

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Love the colours and relaxed style of this flower arrangement by The French Touch!

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Beautiful amethyst rings by Juvi Designs

rings

And for the cake….Ciara briefed on a ‘luxe bohemian’ style, suggesting dripping caramel, fruits and blooms with additional elements such as gold leaf and macarons for added decadence. We opted for a natural blush buttercream finish, contrasting a smooth base tier with semi-naked upper tiers. A luscious caramel drip was complimented with simple yet elegant styling: gorgeous roses by The French Touch Flowers offset by contrasting blackberries..and of course those gold macarons for some luxury!

cake-1

Top cake view! Some detail of those roses, that drip and our macarons…

cake-2

It is always nice to see the different elements of the shoot come together and I think all credit to a great team who created this contemporary, romantic luxe beauty!

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Stylist: Ciara O’Halloran

Photographer: Christina Brosnan

Model: Sarah Tansey at Andrea Roche Model Agency

Hair: Inch Hair Design

Make-up: Elysian Brows

Jewellry: Juvi Designs

Flowers: The French Touch

Stationary: Kerry Harvey Designs

Cake: ME!

See more of this shoot and indeed lots more inspiration, supplier guides and real weddings in the gorgeous Winter/Spring edition of Image Brides, on shelves now!