Hosting a tea party is not difficult nor does it need to be fancy! Perfect for a Mother's Day celebration, a bridal shower or just an afternoon get together with your friends. This post includes a simple guide on how to put together a tea party!
Last year, we decided to throw an impromptu tea party for my parents. It was a couple of days before the New Year, freezing cold outside with no where to go and a tea party would be a nice change! It was a simple, family only arrangement that we enjoyed putting together. My husband even curated a playlist to complete the experience!
What you'll need:
Food Stands & Displays. Cake and dessert stands will be used to display sandwiches and sweets. If you do not have any stands, you can use serving plates in different shapes and sizes and place some of them on top of overturned glasses for some elevation.
Tea set & Tableware. Tea cups, plates, cutlery & linens. A simple white linen will elevate your table setting. You can coordinate your sets but they do not have to match! You can use various patterns or florals. You can certainly take out your grandmother's china however tea-party themed party supplies would also be amazing and will certainly serve a larger crowd.
Centrepieces. floral arrangements, candles or antiques would immediately elevate the presentation. Keep it simple, you don't need fresh flowers, use what you have and get creative!
What to Serve:
Tea. Obviously tea is essential for a tea party. Although generally served hot, based on the season or occasion, you may also want to consider serving iced teas. Serve with milk & sugar on the side. Hot or Cold - always serve a variety of teas:
- Black teas: Earl grey, English breakfast or Darjeeling
- Green teas: Simple green tea or Mint green tea
- Herbal teas: Chamomile tea, lavender tea or hibiscus tea
Tea sandwiches. Tea or finger sandwiches are bite-sized, easy to handle and usually crustless. You can also use mini open faced bagels or mini quiches for variety. Here are some ideas for tea sandwiches:
- Cucumber - probably the most popular and super easy to make.
- Avocado egg salad - hard boiled eggs, creamy avocados with sour cream
- Smoked Salmon - smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill.
- Gouda & Apple - gouda or sharp cheddar with some apple slices and a light spread.
Scones. You can make your own or purchase from a local bakery. They are plain and simple pastries that can be sweet or savoury. Serve alongside a variety of jams or preserves, honey or ashta/clotted cream. If you're looking for more than just plain scones, here are some scone flavours you can consider:
- blueberry scones
- cranberry orange scones
- cheddar & chives scones
Mini sweets. A variety of teacakes, macaroons, mini pastries, shortbreads and petit fours.
Not sure what to serve? Here are a few ideas:
- fruit tartlets
- mini cupcakes
- raspberry shortbread
- mini profiteroles filled with strawberry cream
- chocolate cake bites or mini brownies
If you’re using the traditional 3-tier serving tray, usually there is a specific order for the food displayed on each tier.
The first tier, the bottom tier - tea sandwiches and any other savoury bites
The middle tier - scones
the top tier - sweets
If you're not using a 3-tier serving tray or if you want to get creative with your display - you can scatter single tiered stands around the table. Traditionally, the first course is the tea sandwiches and savoury bites. second course is the scones and breads and the last course would be the sweets. However, if you're anything like me, I like to mix up the courses and would certainly prefer to end with the tea sandwiches!
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