Pursuits of Happiness: Saturday -- Megan and Mike's Wedding, Part One

In addition to making the cupcakes for the rehearsal dinner on Friday night, I was also making Megan's wedding cake. Vanilla cake with lemon curd and lemon buttercream. Things were moving along pretty well, with the cake. I was finished up more than an hour before I needed to leave the house. I took a nap. I came downstairs to get ready to go. Rob was driving and I was holding the cake. Delivery of the cake was a bit unusual for this cake because the wedding was on the island at RCYC. We were taking the cake across on the RCYC ferry - there's not a lot of room on the ferry and many of the guests were arriving early - so we needed to take the cake across assembled.

I was really worried that we were going to forget something I needed at home - since going back for it would be tricky. Anyway, we got on the boat all well and good. It was kind of scary, walking across the gangplank was super shaky and wavy and on quite a steep slope. I handed the cake off to the captain and got it back from him before I sat down. Just as I was trying to sit down and get settled in with the cake, a wave came, the boat lurched, the cake and I were not at all on balance, and .. well.. I dropped it. I. DROPPED. IT.

In hindsight, I wish I could have got a picture. At the time I was too panicked to think about photos. I grabbed it up off the ground and spent the 15 minute trip across the lake thinking over the possibilities. The boat was packed with people - some going to the wedding, some going to other events. Most people were looking at us with the deepest sympathy. The walk from the ferry dock into the reception venue was tough. Guests were staring and point, gasping, gawking. The bride and the wedding party were on the front lawn having their pictures taken. Oh boy.

I don't have a great shot of the total damage, but I do have these shots of the cakes while we were in the kitchen at the club, tiers separated and just about ready for reconstruction: