HOW TO HOST A TEA PARTY
The tea party is a much-loved tradition that has stood the test of time, and for good reason. A tea party is a place to gather to enjoy refreshments and snacks in the company of friends, family or even for business. Hosting a tea party is grounds to use your finest crockery, best cutlery, whip up your most decadent treats (calories don’t count if it’s for tea) and indulge.
5 types of tea party.
So you’ve given some thought to hosting your own tea party but you don’t know where to start with a menu, here are some simple ideas based on a long history of gatherings around tea:
- Afternoon tea – a low key casual affair set in your living room where tea and a small selection of confectionaries are served.
- High tea – a more formal gathering usually around a dining area with a huge spread of both sweet and savory snacks as well as a selection of hot and cold drinks are served.
- Cream tea – home-made scones are a must, served with thick clotted cream, a selection of jams, cheese and butter.
- Royal tea – everything we love about afternoon tea but including champagne.
- Japanese inspired tea ceremony – a green tea and dim sum option as a slightly different spin on the English inspired treat.
Doing tea parties the proper way – the Do’s of tea parties.
Have some fun learning about the historical decorum surrounding the tea party tradition. Or if you prefer, play host to a super traditional British Tea party where your guests learn a little tea-history at the same time.
Tea party rules:
- Tea time attire – trade in your jeans and t-shirt for formal tea fashion: dresses, hat or fascinator, jewelry and gloves. Tea parties are a great excuse to get dressed up in your best vintage clothing finds.
- Use your best crockery and cutlery – bring out the collections you inherited, or your wedding registry gifts, now is the hour to put them to use.
- Add your milk first – it saves your porcelain from cracking.
- Don’t stir, fold! It’s considered good manners to trade in stirring your tea in a circular motion for slow folding.
- Dunking biscuits is a no-no, sadly, it is just far too messy.
- Start with serving sandwiches, follow with scones and finish off with sweets in that order.
Top Teatime tip: it is considered the best manners to serve all finger foods from a tiered cake stand.
Cute tea party ideas.
Choose a theme for dress code and décor. Our top tea party themes for 2022 are:
- Bridgerton Victorian High Tea – an opulent, romantic yet traditional ‘Regencycore’ affair all set out in pastel colours and florals.
- Wes Anderson aesthetic / The Grand Budapest Hotel Royal Tea – a nostalgic 70’s affair with pops of bold colour paired with soft pastels.
- Parisian Café Afternoon Tea – tiny French patisseries with guests dressed all red, white and navy nautical stripes.
- Boho Garden Tea Party – think dried florals, macramé décor and muted tones.
- Bring Your Own Teacup Party – a lovely idea to bring a teacup as a gift for the host.
Shop teacups.
What you’ll need to host your tea party.
Essentials you’ll need to wow your guests:
- Forever florals for your table settings.
- A selection of tea pots for brewing tea.
- Serveware for your confectionaries.
- Extra seating for your guests.
- More teacups and tea spoons than you ever thought you needed.
- A baking kit to make the food prep easy!