How Do You Host An Elegant Afternoon Tea Party?

Are you inspired to concoct the perfect tea party? Readers loved our afternoon tea party post from last year, so we’re out with a new and improved version for our readers this year!

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High Tea or Afternoon Tea??

When asking the question ‘how do you throw a tea party’, you want to make sure you’re using the correct version of ‘tea party’. Did you know there’s a difference between a “high tea” vs. an “afternoon” tea?

Let us help explain…

An “afternoon” tea usually refers to a light meal (think finger sandwiches, a light selection of savories and sweets) and is typically around 2 hours in length.

A “high” tea party was traditionally a full dinner with more robust dishes enjoyed by the working and middle classes back in the day.

Regardless if you decide you want to enjoy the snacks of an afternoon tea or put together a robust dinner for a high tea party, we’ll walk you through the basics and help you set up the foundation.

This post is all about throwing your very own afternoon tea party!

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Factors To Consider…

Listed below are the elements of what you will need in a well-planned tea. Just remember to be creative and true to the style you choose and have fun with it!

What you will need:

• Theme
• Activities
• Location
• Date and time
• Invitations
• Table menu
• Table decorations
• Delicious food/ recipes
• Party attire – What To Wear

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Tea Party Themes

The theme you choose is more important than you may realize! This section will not only affect the decorations you choose, but the outfits you and your guests wear as well as activities you may choose to do.

Do you want your party to have a British theme? A flare of Bridgerton or Jane Austin? Or would you like your theme to celebrate the season? – Spring, Fall, or winter will help you decide the flowers you choose.

Or maybe you want a romantic theme such as a regency tea or a countryside style?

The possibilities are endless! Choosing your theme will help you land on the colors as well.

Below are a few theme options to consider:

• Regency Theme
• Murder mystery
• 1950’s swing
• 1920’s Flapper Dapper
• Disney princess / or general princess theme
• Garden party

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Tea Party Activities

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to host a party game at your event. In British films, I feel like almost any outdoor party has a game of croquet or badminton being played in the background. Obviously, you’re not restricted to these games as there’s plenty of options to choose from for your friends to enjoy.

A few activities you can research into for your own tea party.

• Croquet
• Tea leaf Pictionary
• Badminton
• Charades
• Four legged race
• Sack Race
• Corn Hole
• Murder mystery game

Location

Do you want to host your tea party in your backyard? At the park? Or you may want to host a social event indoors if you have a big enough of a space. If you have a few options to choose from, try to ensure the space you choose fits the amount of people attending. Too often we see people attempt to cramp a large group of people into a really confined space. If this is your situation, you may want to consider starting off small and hosting a smaller group of people.

Date & Time

Afternoon tea is traditionally associated with roughly the mid-to-late afternoon, commonly around 3–5 p.m., although actual times have varied and modern establishments aren’t necessarily rigid about it. We ultimately recommend you choose a time which works best for you and your guests.

When choosing a date for your event, we suggest considering how much the weather may impact your plans, especially if your celebration will be held outdoors. If you’re dreaming of the full afternoon tea experience in a beautiful garden setting, it’s helpful to consider the typical seasonal weather patterns in your region. Choose a time of year when you can reasonably expect the weather to complement your celebration and allow you and your guests to fully enjoy the experience.

Invitations

Complete the previously laid out tasks first before creating your invitations as that is when you’ll have enough information to fill everything out.

What will the style of your invite be? We love it when people match their invite to their theme. Just remember that the invitation can be a great opportunity for your guests to get an idea as to what your theme will be. Here is an invitation idea that can be customized to say what you want on Evite.com

However, don’t forget to include all the pertinent information when filling out your invitations. For example:

• Type of party – “High Tea” Mother’s Day Tea, Fall Celebration Tea Party, etc.
• Date – Check the weather if your hosting outdoors
• Time – We always recommend you give an estimate of how long the party will be. Example: “Starting at 1 pm. until around 3 p.m.” This allows your guests to block out ample time to relax and enjoy the event.
• Place. Add the address to the invite. If the party is held in a place your guests have never gone before then add details like: “Tea will be held in the left side of the park at the Daily Park by the fountain”.
• Light Refreshments. If you’re doing an afternoon tea and not a high tea then be sure to tell your guests that there will be light refreshments. This is important information. You want your guests to show up hungry, but not starving. Scroll to the beginning of this post to understand the differences between afternoon and high tea. 🙂
• Attire. How to dress. Let your guests help you set the tone of your theme by inviting them to dress the part! But tell your guests in advance and don’t make them figurine it out on their own! We went to an event once where the invitation / event gave off formal dress attire vibes. Wasn’t until shortly before the event did the host tell everyone the attire would be casual. Too late! We were already driving to the event in formal wear, but we got a good laugh out of it. 😉 Adding this information to the invitation also let’s your guests decide if they want to share in the theme.
• RSVP – Please save yourself a headache and require an RSVP section! Knowing how many guests you have helps you figure out how much food you should buy in advance as well as how big of a space you’ll need to host in. Your guests should be asked to respond at least two weeks prior to the event, though more time is better and less stressful on the planner.

Insider Tip For Those On A Budget:

• Digital invites sent via email or FaceBook is the least expensive way to distribute your invitations.
• Skip fighting Microsoft Word for invite creation. Go to Canva.com and search up pre-made invitations that you can edit and download. Canva is my go-to as you don’t have to pay to use the program.

{Loving Our Afternoon Tea Party Post? Check out: 22 Best Graduation Gifts For Girls She’ll Love You For!}

Table Menu

The table menu helps set the mood for your tea and it lets your guests know what to expect in the area of refreshments. A traditional menu normally is written in order of courses being served. Such as, savories, traditional scones, sweets, teas and options for tea. A sample menu could look like this:

Want to make your own menu? All you need for this look is gold doilies, card-stock paper, burgundy satin ribbon and access to a printer. Print out your menu, fold the doily around the menu and tie off with your ribbon, and voila! We HIGHLY suggest you make your menu from Canva as it is super easy to use and not to mention free. You are all set!

Love the Afternoon Tea Party Post? Check out: 21 Insanely Cute Wedding Gift Ideas For The Bride

Tablescape

Tablescape is the word we use to describe how you’re going to decorate / style your table. When looking into this category you’ll also want to ask yourself how many tables you will need as well as what decorations you’ll want to use.

I recommend starting off with assessing what decorations you already own and then determining what your color scheme will be from there. Consider how many layers you want your place setting to have? Make sure your tablescape matches your overall theme. Check out our images below for tablescape ideas.

One key to remember, the less layers you have, the less formal your setting will look. Also, it is OK to mix styles and colors, or shabby chic with elegant. It just depends on the look you are going for. This is often the case when you do not have enough cups and saucers in one color or style. If you find yourself facing this dilemma, have some fun with it. Borrow tea sets from friends and family.

However, the easiest look, and often the most elegant, is an all-white tea service. This is where you match a set of solid white ceramic, porcelain, or bone china for a more minimalistic look. An all-white tea service allows you to add any accent color you need in the form of table clothes, napkins, menus, tea pots, flowers, etc.

You can up the elegance of any design choice and make your table shine by bringing in the look of cut-glass. Any discount dollar store usually has small serving cups and bowls that imitate the look of cut glass, and your guests will never know the difference!

Tablescape Recommendations

Below is a list of the basics to help you determine what you may want to buy to design a classy, traditional afternoon English tea party:

• Tables
• Table clothes
• Table runners
• Tea pots
• Teacups and saucers
• Dessert plates
• Napkins
• Napkin holders
• 2 and 3-tier serving trays
• Condiment and preserves servers
• Doilies for your tiered trays
• Cream, sugar and honey servers
• Serving tongs
• Serving spoons
• Stirring spoons for tea
• Knives and forks – most foods will be finger foods, but occasionally you will have foods that work best with a knife and fork.
• Menu
• Chair pads or covers
• Tea packets in a holder – Or you can bring individual teas upon request
• Anything else you wish to bring in to finish your look

When setting your tables your decorations should not interfere with the ability of your guests to easily see and communicate with each other. There is nothing more uncomfortable than having to stretch your neck around a vase of flowers to communicate with the person sitting across from you.

Also, keep in mind that the scent plays a large part in the enjoyment of your tea party, so try to avoid heavily scented flowers, potpourri, or candles that can compete with the scent of your teas.

{Enjoying Our Afternoon Tea Party Post? Check out: Mother’s Day Tea Party}

Tea Party Attire Inspo

This category is completely optional—but when you think about it, it can be an essential part of the fun! You can choose a dress code that matches your theme, ask guests to simply dress up as if they were going to a fancy restaurant, or encourage everyone to add a few charming tea-party accessories, such as parasols, gloves, and cute fascinator hats.

What To Wear

If you decide to make dressing up part of the theme, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Check your local thrift stores for pieces you can mix and match to create the perfect look. Costume rental shops can also be a great option, especially if you’re going for a specific time period or style. If you’re crafty, you could even sew your own outfit!

Don’t forget to check garage sales and secondhand shops for vintage-inspired gloves, fancy umbrellas, hats, and other accessories. And if you prefer to shop for something brand new, online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart offer plenty of dressy clothing and tea-party accessories to choose from.

Next Adventure

This post is all about throwing your very own afternoon tea party!