The Write Stuff with... Daisy James

Today it's my pleasure to hand the reins of the blog over to author Daisy James on the latest leg of her Confetti & Confusion blog tour with a post about Wedding Fiascos.

Confetti & Confusion is the second book in the Paradise Cookery School series, set on the spectacular Caribbean island of St Lucia. In the story we re-join Millie and Ella as they showcase a myriad of chocolate-themed recipes for bride-to-be Imogen and her friends in the run up to their glamorous wedding at a luxury resort on the hilltop overlooking the stunning Pitons. It’s a dream come true for Imogen to be getting married in such exotic surroundings and, as a confirmed chocoholic, being able to attend the cookery school is the icing on the three-tiered wedding cake. 

Weddings are stressful occasions that take months, if not years of meticulous planning. Everything needs to be perfect on the day, but there’s so much to co-ordinate that there’s a myriad of ways that things can go wrong. What about the wedding where the bride’s grandmother threw a cup of coffee over the bride and groom instead of a cup of confetti? Or the disastrous staging of a wedding party photograph when the over-ambitious photographer lined everyone up on a wooden jetty that collapsed under all the weight – thankfully everyone could swim!

Unfortunately, this happened to Imogen. There was a small fire in the hotel kitchen and her spectacular three-tiered wedding cake was damaged, and there was no way she wanted to offer her guests smoke-flavoured cake! Of course, Millie and Ella come to the rescue, especially after the hotel manager suggests they could use a cardboard cake and photoshop one in later! They got cracking and made a spectacular chocolatey wedding cake instead.

And in the end, even if there is a sudden dress malfunction, or a forgotten ring, or a child crying throughout the ceremony, or disappearing marquee, these unexpected incidents can give the newlyweds years of dinner party anecdotes. I speak from experience. When we were married, we hired a DJ for our evening disco and his dry-ice machine went into overdrive and filled the room with so much ‘romantic mist’ during our first dance that it set off the fire alarms and we had an unscheduled visit from the fire brigade – much to the delight of our younger guests!

Did you have any mishaps when you got married? If so, I’d love to hear about them! 

The Paradise Cookery School is officially open!

Stepping in for a celebrity chef, Millie Harper is feeling the pressure to make the first ever Paradise Cookery School classes a dazzling success and ensure that bride-to-be Imogen and friends have an unforgettable experience.

Meanwhile, Millie is trying to play it cool around handsome estate manager Zach Barker. But whenever he is near Millie cannot fail to notice the chemistry between them – until someone from Zach’s past arrives and any potential romance seems out of the question.

When disaster strikes and the wedding is in jeopardy, Millie realises she may have to go above and beyond to make sure the school is a success. Can Millie manage to create a day that dreams are made of, and will she find a way to tell Zach how she feels?