Tea Party Planning Ideas

Tea parties are a great idea for bridal showers, birthday parties, or just a regular Sunday afternoon. Because they're usually low key, you can truly spend some quality time with your loved ones without the pressure of planning out every moment of the event.

To host a great tea party, focus on the details. Think outside the box and you could come up with some truly spectacular ideas. Here are a few to get you started:

Get some vanilla scented votive candles and place them in the middle of your tables within a tea light holder. You could also get some mini flower pots or single flower vases for another feminine touch.

A tea party generally doesn't need a theme, but if you want to do something extra, you could go with something like a literary or musical theme or that classic of classic tea parties: Alice in Wonderland. Once you've settled on the kind of mood you'd like to create, you can send out official tea party invitations and come up with ideas.

• A musical theme might include some musical notes as a little detail on your personalized napkins. You could make some centerpieces covered in sheet music, and play some classic pieces for background music. You could also hand out some custom CDs as party favors.
• A literary theme might include stacked books as centerpieces along with a dainty flower over it. You could have each table be based on a particular book, and hand out personalized bookmarks as party favors.
• For an Alice in Wonderland type theme, you could have a variety of things for centerpieces such as a top hat with a satin ribbon tied around it, a vintage pipe with goblets as vases. You could also set up some red and white roses to symbolize the red and white queens, and make hanging decorations out of playing cards.

Host your event in the garden for a breezy feel or set it up in your living room with some dim candlelight for a more intimate mood. Whatever you do though, be sure to use your best china. If you don't own any, scour your local thrift shop for some pretty floral patterned teacups and plates.

Since a tea party has such an emphasis on good company, conversation, and food, deciding on the menu will probably be the most difficult decision you'll make.

Tea will play a crucial role, so be sure to choose them carefully. The best way to do this is to offer a selection of teas including black, green, and a variety of herbal teas like orange, raspberry, chamomile, and others. Be sure to set out plenty of hot water, milk or cream along with sugar and honey for everybody to prepare their teas accordingly. If the weather allows, you might also have a selection of iced teas ready for your guests.

If you'd like to stick to the basics, then here are some ideas:

• Cream tea. This menu is best for spring garden parties or a more casual tea party. It is the simplest among the four. These include a light snack consisting of scones, cream, and various jams to pair with the English tea.
• Light afternoon tea. This would be a bit heavier than the cream team and includes some tea cakes, scones, and other breads.
• Low tea. This menu consists of some "savories" such as tea sandwiches and small appetizers and of course, the usual scones and sweets/pastries like tea cakes and biscuits. The menu is served in that order and can be done as a lunch.
• High tea. This is an evening meal and consists of a four to five course meal that includes soup, meat, eggs, cheese, bread and butter, and ends with scones and sweet cake.

Once you've fully satisfied your guests with great tea and fun conversations, give your guests a little token such as a mini flower pot or one of the flower vases along with a thank you card as tea party favors. The note in the card can read something like: "It was lovely spending the afternoon with you. You're truly my cup of tea!"