The kind of invitations you send out can vary depending on the budget, as well as the kind of theme you’re going for. If you’re trying to recreate a Victorian tea party you might want to go all out, or if it’s just a casual meet up with friends the invites might not be so important. Sending out a text or creating a Facebook event is an easy and effective way to make sure that people get the message and know where to go. For fans of more traditional methods, there are plenty of ways to design your invitations if you’re not an artist.
It’s tough with British weather to know whether to host indoors or outdoors. Unless there’s been sunshine for the past few days, or the weather report is particularly good, it may be a good idea to put up at least some coverage. If it’s looking rainy outside then an inside dining table can easily be made to look fancy. In sunny weather, it can be as simple as grabbing some nice plates and cups and throwing a picnic blanket across the garden which your guests can sit on to soak up the sunshine.
When it comes to the coffee it’s down to the choice of you and your guests. Some people are happy with instant coffee, while others prefer to use a French press, reminding them of teapots. It’s also a viable option to set up a machine and allow others to make their coffee to their own specification – just because you’re the host doesn’t mean you have to do all the work! Just be sure to have plenty of milk, sugar and any other requests such as dairy-free alternatives at hand.
Sometimes there are so many cakes that choosing the right one can be daunting. Don’t feel as if you have to go out and make one from all fresh ingredients. If you’re not a world-class baker, you can get some from supermarkets that are absolutely lovely (and it makes cleaning up a lot easier!). A quick trick is to buy a cheap cake-stand decorate it with a cloth, that way it looks even more appetising (and homemade).
Having a cake and coffee party is a lovely way to catch up with friends, and have a different experience than most meets ups. It’s inexpensive and a lot of fun. Just don’t forget to share the cake if you get one that’s too good!
