I hosted my hen-do in my garden during the heatwave – but I wish I'd invested in these 5 things to make the afternoon run more smoothly

Small table with white table cloth, vase and savory snacks.

Last week, in the midst of one of this summer's many heatwaves, I hosted eight of my friends in my garden as part of my hen do celebrations. I say 'host' loosely, as my job was simply to prepare the outdoor furniture and supply the hosting/kitchen essentials while my friends acted as chef, bar staff and waiters.

I thought I had everything covered to get my small garden ready to host. I'd invested in a £35 folding table from B&Q and some metal folding chairs from Habitat so everyone had a seat (but I could fold them away afterwards). I also pulled out my Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan, £129.99 at Shark, to help keep everyone cool, and used my Roberts Revival Petite 2 Radio, £99 at John Lewis, as a speaker for music.