You may have noticed I’ve been taking a bit of a break from blogging this month. It wasn’t intentional but somehow planning my daughters Christening and our family holiday in Portugal got in the way. It’s been nice to take a bit of a break to be honest. I feel so much more recharged and full of new ideas/posts I can’t wait to write about very soon. But of course I just couldn’t resist to share some photos from my youngest daughters baptism that we had in May. I wasn’t planning to feature it on the blog but since everything turned out so pretty I thought why not. But please don’t judge me if everything isn’t styled to perfection. I was the hostess after all and taking photos of the tablescapes was the last thing on my mind on the day.
Baptism is such a big event in my book that I always plan everything at least 2-3 weeks before. I order most of the party supplies online so I have to make sure that I have enough time to return them if they don’t look quite like I had imagined. I always pick a theme or a colour scheme and this time I decided to go for gold. No surprise there, right? Gold is still a firm favourite of mine and I thought this might be my last chance to pick a theme before the mini decorators will take over planning their birthday parties etc. I think the key with picking any theme really is to mix it up a bit. If you choose a gold theme, don’t feel like everything has to be gold. Pick colours that complement each other and the outcome will be a lot more interesting and fun.
So let’s talk about the cake. If you’re an Instagram addict like me you probably know already what drip cakes are, or at least know what they look like. Basically they are cakes with chocolate (or any other flavour) dripping on the sides. Drip cakes are very trendy at the moment and so versatile. I’m totally buying into the hype, I just can’t get enough of them. A good friend of mine from Lottie Loves Cake is responsible for this beautiful creation. If you’re wondering if it tasted as good as it looked the answer is yes. It tasted absolutely amazing! Honestly I got so many complements from friends and family and it has never happened before. It was a chocolate cake but I’ve never tasted such a wonderfully moist chocolate cake in my entire life. If you live in South East London and need a cake that is styled to perfection (and that tastes divine too!) she is your girl. The custom made cake topper is from Chibi Chi Designs.
I bought most of our party supplies from Party Delights and their stuff is really great. I’m obsessed with their Gold Polka Dot Range. It looks so chic and classy. I love that you can find matching napkins, cups, plates etc. I had to pop into Hobby Craft for a few missing things but luckily they seem to stock similar items. I really wish I’d have a gold runner but I couldn’t find what I was looking for online so I had to get a bit creative very quickly. I decided to place four placemats together in the middle of the dinner table to create one long runner. You can see where they join close up but from a distance you’d never know. It’s not perfect but good enough for me. Plus I love how the place mats from Chilewich serve double duty as a runner too. I’ll definitely do this trick again.
Foil letter balloons are another big Instagram hit. They can be used for kids parties, weddings, christening parties or any big event really. I love how versatile they are and of course I love the fact that I managed to find ones in gold. The letter balloons were from Party Delights and as you can see they are the perfect size for our dining room. Always check the size by the way. People usually find that they look smaller than expected but when you group quite a few letters together they make a big impact. The gold confetti balloons looked so classy but I totally forgot that latex balloons only really last a day or so. Annoyingly we blew up the gold confetti balloons the night before and some of them weren’t staying up the next day. So ideally blow them up on the day if you can.
We decided to extend our entertaining area to our decking since the weather has been pretty incredible lately. I’m so glad we did because everyone seemed to prefer the decking. Our garden table is such a good size that it was ideal for a wine and canapé station. I ordered the stainless steel Champagne Bowl from Ebay very last minute. It was such a bargain for £20 so I couldn’t help myself. It’s pretty big so it makes a great center piece too. It was such a clever call because it meant that the guests could help themselves and I didn’t need to run to the fridge every time someone needed a refill. The Silver Lace Runner is from Amara. I bought it few years ago and it’s perfect for formal parties. We ordered all the party food from M&S but sadly I don’t have many pictures of the selection. Everything was delicious though! We went for a nice mix of everything; sandwiches, canapé, mini burgers, fruits, mini cakes etc.
Our West Elm Terrace Bar Cart is a relatively new purchase but I’m so pleased I got to use it outside too. Bar carts are so handy and a real must-have for parties. It was so nice to have a side table where I could store plates, cups, drinks etc. Honestly I don’t know how we have managed without one. I’ll need to write a separate post about this at some point but I’m still so in love with it which says a lot I suppose.
Entertaining Top Tips!– Start the party prep at least 2-3 weeks early so you have time for returns or if you change your mind about the theme/colour (and so that you can avoid that last minute panic!)
– Pick a theme or colour but do mix it up with colours that complement each other.
– Most formal occasions these days tend to be ‘informal”, especially if you are hosting a party in your own home. Don’t be embarrassed to use paper cups or plates. There are so many pretty designs and colours to choose from and it’s the perfect way to add an accent colour to your tablescape. If you’re having a garden party outdoor tableware is a great idea, although you’ll still need to do the clean up afterwards.
– If something looks pretty but you know its not going to work on the day, don’t buy it.
– Don’t forget to cater for everyone (kids, vegetarians, gluten sensitivity etc.) when you’re shopping for the food. Also don’t forget to take the weather into account. If it’s hot people will want to eat something refreshing that isn’t too heavy. It can be hard to plan this ahead but you can make some last minute changes to the menu on the day.
– Don’t wear a white or a light coloured dress if you’re the host. Go for dark colours or pattern. I guess this is pretty explanatory. You will have some spills and stains no matter what so it’s just not worth the hassle in my opinion. You’ll feel a lot less self conscious too when you know any possible stains won’t be visible to anyone else.
– Prepare all the food the night before and and place the serving boards in the fridge so they are ready to go.
– Buy fresh flowers on the day or the night before. Alternatively buy cut flowers that tend to last longer like roses or lillies.
– Remember to enjoy the party and chat to your guests!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the tips and if I’ve missed anything feel free to add a comment.
Happy Entertaining!
