The Queen Platinum Jubilee this year promises us a 4-day long weekend of patriotism, parties, and Pimms!
So are you, like so many other Brits, looking forward to hosting a showstopping garden party with all of your neighbours and nearest and dearest?
The Jubilee weekend begins on Thursday 2nd June 2022 until Sunday 5th June to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II being the first British monarch in history to celebrate 70 years on the throne.
There will be celebrations up and down the country. So now is the time to start planning how you’re going to party like royals – whilst also not breaking the bank.
You can still throw a great shindig on a budget just by keeping things simple and remembering what really makes the Brits, British! Find out more below.
Make Your Own Decorations
We’re thinking bunting, flags, and even more flags!
Decorations can be really expensive, especially if you’re only going to use them once. So making them can be a fantastic way to save on costs, whilst also being a fun way to get all the family involved in the Jubilee celebrations!
You can use old fabrics you have lying around the home, or buy some card, paper or fabrics from your local crafts store or order them online from stores like Craft Stash. The Platinum Jubilee website even has bunting templates of the Union Jack flag that you can print off at home directly onto card!
Use Mismatched Crockery
Digging out your very best China is a very British part of hosting any gathering. But why not strip it back for the Jubilee weekend and use mismatched crockery?
There’s no need to worry about everything matching, and it’s much more sustainable and environmentally friendly to use stuff you’ve already got rather than buying one-use plastic cups and plates.
Simply look in the back of your cupboards for anything you can find, borrow off friends and neighbours, or you could even head to your local charity shop or TJ Hughes who will have lots of different crockery to choose from.
Ask Guests to Join In with Catering
It can always seem like a daunting task to cater for a lot of people. And if you’re getting together with neighbours that you perhaps don’t know that well, then it can be even more difficult when you aren’t familiar with their likes/dislikes and dietary requirements. To make your life easier, don’t forget about all the party food that you can pick up for a bargain at stores like Iceland to cover your share of the catering!
If you simply ask everyone to bring one of their speciality dishes then you can share the costs, workload, and you can be sure that there will be something for everyone! Winner, winner!
Have a Cake-Off
Does anything say Great Britain like a good slab of Victoria sponge cake? We don’t think so!
In fact, the official pudding for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is lemon and Swiss roll amaretti trifle. So why not add a bit of fun competition to your party and have a cake-off? You can get all the ingredients you need from stores like Ocado!
This could be a great way for all the family to get involved in the event! Simply ask your guests to each make their own version of the trifle and then all vote on which one was the best. You can find loads of recipes for the trifle online.
Don’t Forget the Pimm’s
As well as the traditional cakes, there’s no great British summer event without a good jug (or 3) or Pimm’s!
All you need is a few bottles of Pimm’s liqueur which you can order online at stores like Majestic, oranges, cucumbers, strawberries, and plenty of ice and add it all into a jug. Just before serving, add a garnish of mint leaves and some lemonade.
You could even let the kids feel like they’re a part of it all by making a separate jug with some summer fruits cordial juice instead of the Pimm’s (just make sure you don’t mix them up)!
Make a Brill Brits Music Playlist
Music really can make or break any party. So having a playlist ready to go will make sure that you get your party off to a good note right from the off!
For the Jubilee, we’re thinking British classics. And if you’re struggling for inspo, then Spotify and Apple Music will likely be putting a whole bunch of Jubilee playlists together.
To make it more fun, you could even create a public playlist that you could share with guests so that they can each add some of their own favourites.
Or if you don’t already have access to a music platform, then BBC One will also be hosting a great event.
