On a crisp March morning in 1932, bride-to-be Dolly is hiding in her bedroom daydreaming of the whimsical summer before, helped along by an ample jug of rum. Long-lost cousins and quirky aunts are arriving to the house every hour, and the downstairs living rooms are buzzing with speculation about the bride's whereabouts. Exasperated by her daughter's absence, Dolly's scatterbrained mother Hetty is at her wit's end, scurrying around the house trying to quell the relatives' suspicions. Hetty has perfected all of the day's arrangements, but her plans can't prepare everyone for the arrival of Dolly's unpredictable best friend, Joseph.