1st birthday celebration for friends

[PrehistoricMother]

Please help! I am getting entangled in my own thoughts about our LO turning one in May.
His actual bday is on a Wednesday so we will have a cake at home just us. But would like to invite few friends and any family members than can make it (we are all very scattered) for drinks and to mark the occasion. It will be mainly adults, plus two babies and a 5 year old so no need really for a big hall etc

Do you have any suggestions? Should I make a cake? Or offer food and drinks? Not sure what’s expected in terms of hosting, timings, duration etc

I wonder if it would be too much for us and our baby.

What would you do/ have you done? Thank you!

Have a BBQ? Informal and easy to do. But yes if you invite people I’d provide food and drink. I’d have a cake because it’s a birthday but it’s up to you really, the little one won’t care either way.

Thank you! BBQ or picnic was my first choice but I feel the weather is a gamble and our garden is unfortunately too small. So would a few bottles of wine/ soft drinks and nibbles work rather than a sit down meal? Sorry I think I sound too frazzled but I am not from the UK and always confused by what’s acceptable and expected here!

I think it depends how long people are expected for and how far they're travelling - if local and you're inviting them for a couple of hours then tea/coffee and cake would be fine.
Ours was in winter and people had travelled a few hours so I wanted to feed them - had champagne sausage rolls etc as well as cake and tea/coffee

Not sure id go for a sit down meal but id also say more than nibbles. Sausage rolls, quiches and snacks etc could work?

I would get a cake. It's nice for photos. And also the bringing out of the cake kind of symbolises the end of the party. Helps to move people along if you have a short social battery like me 😂