To host a stress-free high tea, all you need is a combination of creativity and organization. Start by selecting a theme and planning your menu. Consider classic tea options like English Breakfast. Make sure to arrange a variety of finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries.
Hosting an afternoon tea party shouldn’t be fancy or overly decorative. All you need is a simple and elegant venue, decorative pieces, seating arrangements, and food. When setting the table, use graceful teacups and saucers for a sophisticated touch. It is important to pay attention to the details, such as fresh flowers and linen napkins.
Additionally, create a relaxed ambiance with soft music and comfortable seating arrangements. For further afternoon tea party ideas, follow the tips below, and your guests will be sure to rave about your delightful high tea party!
Basic Rules & Ettiquietes For An Afternoon Tea Party
Before delving into our list of afternoon tea party ideas, learn the etiquette for hosting an afternoon party! Here are some basic rules and a few tea party etiquette tips:
- When sitting, keep your purse on your lap or behind you, against the chair back.
- Unfold the napkin and place it on your lap. If you leave the table, put the napkin on your chair. Avoid using the napkin to blot or wipe lipstick, as it’s hard to remove lipstick stains in the wash.
- Remember, never use your napkin as a handkerchief. If needed, excuse yourself and go to the restroom. When the hostess picks up her napkin, it signals the end of the tea. Everyone should then pick up their napkin by the center and place it to the left of their plate.
- Add sugar to your cup, then lemon. If you want milk, add it after the tea. In the past, milk was added first to prevent teacup cracking. Now add it after to judge the amount based on color change. Never mix milk and lemon.
- Hold the teacup handle with your thumb and fingers, without sticking out your pinky. Avoid looping your fingers through the handle or cradling the cup. When drinking, look into the teacup, not over it.
- When stirring tea, gently swish the spoon back and forth without touching the cup’s sides. After stirring, place the spoon on the saucer behind the teacup and to the right of the handle. Remember to remove the spoon before drinking and never sip from it.
- Take small, quiet sips of your tea; refrain from blowing on it if it’s too hot.
- When at a tea, take small bites and chew thoroughly before sipping hot tea.
How To Host An Afternoon Tea Party?
Here is a list of ideas that you may need to host an afternoon tea party for your friends. The following tips will help you in sorting out the party hassle and give you a stress-free experience!
Serve Hot Food
Food is the main attraction at afternoon parties, and everything must be hot. From finger food snacks to TEA, make sure to serve dishes that are piping hot. You can choose a customizable afternoon tea box. In that way, you can serve the boxes to everyone’s table; this simply avoids rushing to the table corners.
Decoration Ideas
If you’re hosting a girls’ afternoon tea, keep it simple with fresh flowers and everyone’s favorite tea kettle. This will give a carefree and enjoyable tea party, perfect for reconnecting and spending quality time together. You could even hire a marquee for an afternoon tea party!
Engaging Activities
We love hosting tea parties and making homemade beauty products with our guests. Our favorite is DIY sugar scrubs, which are packed with quality ingredients like coconut oil, Lipton tea, and turbinado sugar! They also make great party favors, neatly packaged into small mason jars for guests to take home.
Use Tiered Serving Trays
Another essential item for a proper tea party is a tiered stand to display all the small bites you plan to serve. This also helps in handling the situation, as you can easily avoid too many plates or crockery for serving. Even a glass tiered stand look adorable when serving delicious snacks. If you don’t have a tiered stand, you can easily make one at home by placing a wine glass in the center of a plate. This creates one tier on the plate, and you can then place cookies and other treats in the wine glass. Party rentals Dallas can help you with all sorts of party rental items.
End Your Tea Party With a Sweet Delight
The top tier of a tea party cake stand is usually for cakes and cookies. However, you can even get a big slice of cake and cut it into small triangles. The idea is to have small snacks to go with the tea, not a full meal. A variety of sweet treats like cookies and cupcakes is great for a tea party.
Conclusion
This is how you can host an afternoon tea party that will be remembered for years to come. By following the tips above, you can get ready to experience outstanding moments with your loved ones. The afternoon tea parties aren’t just for summers, but they are also good to go in winter or even spring. So, invite your friends and family at your place, decor the venue with thematic decorations, and enjoy the sip of hot tea with delicious snacks.
Thank you for reading.
