Kittens having their tea party

You and your girl friends have decided to spend time together to catch up on each other’s lives. This time, you’ll be the host. Since there are only a few of you, you decide on a simple solution: a tea party! This very simple get-together will allow you to chat and spend time together without the hassle of having too much to prepare. If you don’t have enough time to set up a proper sit-down dinner, then holding an afternoon tea party is a practical solution.

Tea parties have been held as an Anglo-American tradition as a practice done by affluent people during the Edwardian and Victorian eras. It was known as a ritualized and formal gathering held during the mid-afternoon. Ladies were usually those who attend these events, in which they drank tea and ate sweets. Tea parties were naturally classy and elegant, and proper etiquette was very important during these events.

Today, the practice of holding tea parties has become less prissy, and although women still practice them using custom tea sets, the atmosphere during these events has become more relaxed. If you think that throwing your own tea party is fairly simple, think again. It may require less hassle and worry for your part, but you still have numerous considerations to think about for it to be successful. Here are several useful tips that you should remember when holding your own tea party.

Invitations: Simple but Classy

The first step for preparing a tea party is to let your guests know where and when it will be held. Of course, you could call them personally, but if you want a formal approach, you could send out invitations instead. Include important details, such as your address, the time and the dress code, if your party has one.

There are ready-made tea party invitations sold in bookstores and craft stores, but if you want a more personal approach, you can try making your own. All you need is some paper, classy envelopes, and decorations such as ribbons or lace. You print them out from your PC, or if you can do calligraphy, handwrite them instead.

The Venue: Setting up Your Tea Party Area

You can hold a tea party anywhere that there are tables and chairs, but if you want it to be more classy and comfortable, you should make careful considerations about where you’ll hold it. You have to make sure that your guests will feel cozy all throughout the gathering.

A beautiful setup for a tea party

If you have a beautiful garden, why not have your tea party there? A patio can also be okay, as long as it’s spacious enough. Terraces that overlook a beautiful view are also appropriate venues.

Aside from where you’ll be setting up your table, you also need to think about the table itself. Unless your table is spotless and has a beautiful design, make sure you have beautiful linens and a tablecloth to cover it to add to your party’s mood. A bare tabletop only looks drab, tacky and uninspiring.

For classic tips on setting up a tea table, watch the video below.

The Perfect Brew: The Tea

This is one of the most important components of your party. Throughout the gathering, you need to make sure that you have a proper, if not perfect, brew. The wonderful thing about this is you have a wide variety to choose from. Whether you try jasmine tea, green tea, Earl grey, black tea or Ceylon, you have to make sure that it’s warm, it tastes good, and is not too bland or too strong.

Presentation is also very important. Put your tea inside a beautiful china teapot when you serve it. The designs for the china tea cups, saucers and tea spoons should match. Lastly, serve the tea with condiments, like milk, lemon and sugar, all placed in separate containers. This lets the guests have the freedom to choose what to mix in their cups.

Party Nibbles: Yummy Snacks

Just because it’s called a tea party doesn’t mean that all you’ll be serving your guests is tea. You’ll also need to prepare light refreshments that they can eat during the gathering. No, you don’t have to prepare sumptuous dishes. Treats, such as cakes, cookies, sweet rolls and sandwiches would suffice.

Ceylon tea served with biscuits

One delicious cup of Jasmine tea

Vanilla-Ceylon tea with an Egg Club Sandwich

If you want to spice up your treats, settle for those with simple but delicious flavors, such as tomato and mozzarella, ham and apple or prosciutto and cream cheese. Another option is to cut them in different shapes. You don’t have to prepare many different kinds of snacks; variety is good, but if it’ll mean spending too much time in the kitchen, then it’s impractical.

Party Memories: Tea Party Favors

It’s not a requirement for you to have tea party favors, but if you want the party to be more memorable and special, you should get some. Simple but delicately designed items such as teapot handles, lace handkerchiefs or stationary with recipes printed on them are appropriate and easy to get.

Planning a tea party can be a bit difficult, but once you see the satisfied and delighted looks on your guests’ faces, you’ll realize that it’s all worth it. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself during the party. It’s your time to relax, bond and talk about all the good times.