ACROSS
7 Kind of rock wayward genius has put in ring (7)
IGNEOUS – (GENIUS*) [“wayward”] has put in O [ring]
9 Somehow, is crop circle a sign? (7)
SCORPIO – (IS CROP O*) [“somehow”]
10 United duo having just achieved goal in match? (9)
NEWLYWEDS – cryptic def. We’re talking about the sacred institution of marriage, not the even more sacred one of football, here.
11 Daughter and a friend, ignoring the odds, took on challenge (5)
DARED – D + A + {f}R{i}E{n}D
12 Method of paying, initially, that could be catch (3)
COD – or, alternatively punctuated, C.O.D., the acronym for Cash On Delivery.
13 Its consumers are celebrating achievement of union (7,4)
WEDDING CAKE – cryptic def. Again we’re talking about people getting married. Is this puzzle dedicated to an actual pair of 10 perchance?
15 Finishes off any new ale — one way to work on glass (6)
ANNEAL – AN{y} NE{w} AL{e}
16 Records a pair of names, too — endlessly together (6)
ANNALS – A + N N + ALS{o} [too, “endlessly”]
20 They extend a line — casts twice end badly (11)
DESCENDANTS – (CASTS END END*) [“badly”]
22 Original piece of art framed in fine 4 (3)
OAK – A{rt} in OK [fine]. 4dn = WOOD.
24 For example, working with 4 boats (5)
CRAFT – Double def. 4dn still = WOOD.
26 Desirable feature of house that’s comprehended by groom, in essence (9)
ROOMINESS – hidden in {g}ROOM IN ESS{ence}
28 Literary great, in time, was told about book (3,4)
THE BARD – T [time] + HEARD [was told] “about” B [book]
29 Dog that is with novelist from same part of world (7)
SCOTTIE – I.E. [that is], with SCOTT [novelist who is from Scotland, like the dog. There’s a clue to their provenance in both their names, really]
DOWN
1 Easy task? Part of it could be a piece of cake (6)
PICNIC – Double def. If this is a thematic puzzle, maybe the cake is wedding cake.
2 Unable to move under white blanket (6,2)
SNOWED IN – cryptic def
3 Fish from front or stern of dinghy (4)
DORY – or, put another way, the D OR Y of “dinghy”
4 Duke attached to court in deal, for example (4)
WOOD – D [duke] attached to WOO [court]
5 Ornamental shrub is feature of cathedral area (6)
SPIREA – SPIRE A [feature of cathedral | area]
6 Unable to deliver speech in exceptionally low dress (8)
WORDLESS – (LOW DRESS*) [“exceptionally”]
8 Place with company, finally, as regular partner (6)
STEADY – STEAD [place] with {compan}Y
9 Bird appearing as one’s sitting in hide (6)
SISKIN – I’S [one’s] “sitting in” SKIN [hide]
13 Practice a craft, as setter and solvers have stated (5)
WEAVE – homophone of WE’VE [setter and solvers have]
14 Casual garments, we hear — they’re passed on by parents (5)
GENES – homophone of JEANS [casual garments]
15 Including account in financial check, said why that’s bold (8)
AUDACITY – including AC [account] in AUDIT [financial check] + Y [“said” WHY]
17 Transformed art tome with old representation of Cupid (8)
AMORETTO – (ART TOME*) [“transformed”] + O [old]
18 Really liked a party on extreme left (6)
ADORED – A DO RED [a | party | on extreme left, like Ken]
19 Cause of tears known to the cognoscenti? (6)
ONIONS – and the cognoscenti “know their onions”
21 Does some gardening work in suit (6)
SPADES – double def
23 Satisfied with endless show of affection? That’s fate (6)
KISMET – MET [satisfied] with KIS{s} [“endless” show of affection]
25 Timber used in the afterdeck, being extremely selective (4)
TEAK – T{h}E A{fterdec}K
27 Revered person adding line to acceptance speech (4)
IDOL – add L [line] to I DO [acceptance speech]
My time was 35 minutes, nothing too hard here, especially if you catch on to the theme.
I suspect that the blogger might want to add 20 across and 14 down to the theme.
With that as explanation, a nice puzzle.
FOI 7ac IGNEOUS
LOI 25dn TEAK
COD 19dn ONIONS
WOD 5dn SPIREA I suppose
Time 31 minutes
11:52
I missed the theme which I’m sure would have become apparent during the blogging process if not whilst solving.
Cryptic definitions are my least favourite type of clue, so this was all a bit trying. For example I put Wedding FARE. Seemed ok to me.
Thanks and congrats setter – and thanks V.
Edited at 2019-07-19 07:54 am (UTC)
The setter tells us that WEDDING CAKE is COD so I won’t bother to argue.
Congratulations to all (and thanks to V who is absolutely not a spare blogger at a wedding).
I wonder if 5d is a theme clue, too? SPIREA Arguta is known as “Bridal Wreath”.
Edited at 2019-07-19 08:26 am (UTC)
I know it’s often been commented on before, but it’s interesting that there is an answer here I don’t recall having seen in a crossword before, which also appears elsewhere today. Maybe a surprise, but the clue here was much more benign.
Home in 37 minutes.
Thank you to setter and blogger
COD to COD, of course.
Best wishes to both, whatever.l
FOI IGNEOUS
LOI THE BARD
COD ONIONS
TIME 8:44
Even before getting to the more obvious wedding references, this puzzle stood out for its shape. My guess would be it was supplied to the editor by a non-regular contributor.
9a is another for the list of connected clues – although presumably in reference to the engagement rather than the big day itself.
6m 10s for me.
ODE has “be no picnic” as “be difficult or unpleasant”.