Contents
Aoife — Chapter 2
Overview
On the eve of the wedding, planner Aoife meticulously prepares the rehearsal dinner and tomorrow’s details while sensing incoming bad weather and volatile guests. She reveals the couple’s high profile, the bride’s exacting demands, and her own drive to orchestrate perfection—hinting at tensions that could upset careful plans.
Summary
On the day before the wedding, Aoife, the planner, finalizes preparations for the rehearsal dinner and predinner drinks, stocking vintage champagne, wine, and Guinness per the bride’s instructions. She notes concerns: a reckless best man, rowdy ushers, and a withdrawn bridesmaid who is the bride’s half sister.
As Aoife sets turf fires and readies the Folly, she tracks a shift in the weather from fair to changeable and removes the barometer to avoid alarming the bride. She plans a refined fish stew and canapés with chef-partner Freddy, and oversees a fragile, lavish red velvet wedding cake transported from Dublin to match the wedding’s foliage theme.
Aoife reflects on her profession as the curation of a perfect day amid life’s chaos. She and Freddy, who restored the Folly into a venue, balance nerves and reassurance. The bride’s high standards energize Aoife, though this event matters more to her than usual.
Aoife reveals the couple—Will Slater and Julia Keegan—haven’t been together long, noting their audible passion and questioning how well they truly know each other’s secrets. Her observations foreshadow potential conflicts between meticulous planning, heavy drinking, rising wind, and the wedding party’s unstable undercurrents.
Who Appears
- AoifeWedding planner and narrator; prepares events, monitors weather, notes volatile guests, and strives for a flawless day.
- FreddyAoife’s partner and chef; handles dinner, canapés, and reassures Aoife amid mounting pressures.
- Julia KeeganBride; exacting, wealthy, magazine owner; orders lavish drinks and a fragile custom cake.
- Will SlaterGroom; in a short, passionate relationship with Julia; high-profile match that heightens stakes.
- Best manSeen by Aoife as a liability; potential source of disruption once drinking begins.
- Bridesmaid (bride’s half sister)Solitary and tense; roams the island as if fleeing something, hinting at deeper unease.