How to Plan a Tea Party
Tea Party Overview
When you hear the words tea party, it automatically conjures images of the British gentry and the Victorian era. But today it is one of the most elegant and enjoyable parties you can throw for your friends. The endless conversation and stories over soothing cups of tea and delicious snacks is something that everyone enjoys.
The Party Organizer's To-Do List
Pre-planning: A month before the party
You may think that you have a lot of time to prepare for the bash you are planning, but in truth you might not. Before everything else, you need to take care of these important details:
-
It's tea time. Choose the date. The most basic information that you need to think of and finalize is the date. Everything else follows. Also, pick the time of day you want the party to happen. Is it a mid-afternoon or late afternoon tea?
-
Who's invited? The all-important guest list. It's always a good idea to have a guest list so you can gauge how much budget you need to allot for the fete.
-
Send your invites. Make your invites as unique as your party. Make one or have one designed for you. The important thing is that it reflects the type of party you're hosting. Send it ASAP.
-
Plan your budget. Even if money is not an object to you having a budget on the onset allows you to keep track of your expenses and where to allocate the money.
Planning the Details: 2 weeks before the party
As your tea party
draws near, you need to get down to the nitty gritty of the event. This is when you decide what tea and food to serve, how to decorate the place, and what favors to give.
-
Food
– in traditional tea parties tea is served with pastries, sandwiches, savory hors d' oeuvres and scones, which are usually placed on 3-tiered servers. If you have time you can cook them yourself, or you can always have them catered so you have more time to focus on other party details.
-
Decorations
– tea party decorations are simple and mostly rely on your tea set and food. To give your party the real ambience of a conventional tea party, garnish the table with your best silver, china, and linen. Don't use disposables. Place an elegant arrangement of flowers at the center of the table.
-
Entertainment
– the main entertainment in a tea party is the conversation, so make sure your party is conducive to such activity. Play soft, mellow music for a relaxed ambience. But if you and your guests feel like having a more energetic tea party, then it's best to prepare a couple of games and fast music to go with it.
Tea Party Etiquette FAQs
It's always good to know the proper etiquette at any social gathering, and tea parties are the perfect occasion to apply what you know. Here are a few more party etiquettes you can add to your repertoire:
Can you smoke in a tea party?
As the host, it is your decision to allow smoking during your tea party. However, you need to include it in your invitation so that your guests will not get offended if you stop them from smoking at the party. You can also set an area where the guests can smoke.
Can you invite pets to a tea party?
If you have a pet of your own and you want your pet to be able to roam freely during the party, you can also allow guests to bring their pets. But it is recommended that pets be kept in another part of the venue to avoid them causing discomfort to your guests. Also, it could be possible that someone is allergic to pet hairs or smell so be sure to consider that as well when planning your tea party.
How do I conduct myself at a tea party?
Since it's a tea party you should have a variety of tea to serve. The most common are Earl Grey, Darjeeling, and Green Tea. You could always serve some fruit-flavored tea or mint tea to add variety and keep your party interesting.
What is the appropriate tea party favors to give?
For tea parties, be sure to give out tea themed favors to your guests in honor of the occasion. Need ideas? Check out our unique selection of tea party favors
where you can choose from several traditional as well as trendy tea favors.