A couple of years ago a dear friend and I decided to throw ourselves a joint birthday party. Since we’re both born in April and we both love Jane Austen (not to mention the title of this post) you can guess what the theme was. If you want to throw a get together for your friends who are participating in The Jane Event, or just for the heck of it, here is a rundown of what we did.
1. We got some antiqued looking stationary and typed up invitations in a script hand we liked. It was very Austenesque. We even worded it along the lines of
Miss ----- and Miss ------- request the pleasure of your company and invite you to celebrate their birthdays at a Jane Austen Party to be held on April the ---- at -----.Okay so it was not exactly worded that way but you get the point. We put them in antiqued envelopes and used a wax seal. Unfortunately Forever Stamps don't look very Regency but one must make allowances for these things.
Your presence is most welcome, please join the fun.
BYOTC (bring your own tea cup)
2. We planned our menu. You could go the Epic route and have roasted pheasant etc. but we just went with finger sandwiches, gingerbread, and cookies and cakes, fresh strawberries, lemonade, etc. Yes, we bought the packaged Hostess cakes. Unwrap them, arrange them on a plate and no one will complain. A nice tablecloth (lace if you can find it) lends a nice touch.
This was our table :)
3. We did serve tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. I found an online recipe for clotted cream. A word about clotted cream: be careful how much your recipe will make. I had a huge bowlful left over for a week.
4. For music and entertainment we planned a few different things. We used the soundtrack from Pride and Prejudice as our background music, but you could also use classical or soundtracks from other movies you enjoy. I suggest anything with piano or strings. We decided to watch Persuasion after we ate (no complaints here) and we also did an online "Which Jane Austen Character Are You?" quiz with our guests. Had the weather not been so hot outside we would have played a game of croquet or bacci ball (though not a Regency game, still a lawn game). You could also play cards or have a dance. We really wanted to have a dance, it’s just a little hard to find a willing partner (men these days, I tell ya.)
5. We wore dresses, as did some of our guests, but it’s not necessary. Whatever you think will be fun for you and your guests. The important thing is to make everyone comfortable and enjoy your day.
So is this a totally dorky idea? Yes, but still so much fun. One of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. If you try it I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Happy Reading!
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