Afternoon Tea Party Planning 101

Elegant English Tea Entertaining Ideas & Tips for Beginners

Nov 3, 2007 Janienne Jennrich

English teatime events are a fun way to entertain friends. Beginner's ideas for preparing for a delicious afternoon of tempting treats, tasty tea and terrific table tops.

Planning a Beginner's Afternoon Tea for Special Friends

• Begin with a intimate tea party, inviting two to four girlfriends.
• Send elegant or fun invitations. If special costuming (fancy, fun, or lovely hats) is desired, include this information. An RSVP request adds special importance to the occasion.
• For a light afternoon tea, 3:30 in the afternoon is a good starting time.
• Pick a pretty, comfortable spot for the tea. If the weather is warm, an outdoor party might be nice, preferably in a garden setting. If indoors, find a cozy spot, perhaps near a glowing fireplace or in a pretty dining nook.
• Locate seating for guests. Folding chairs are fine if they are sturdy and comfortable. Otherwise, nice dining chairs are best.
• Have plenty of table space for displaying and serving treats, a low centerpiece, and room for guests to rest their teacups and services.

Table Settings and Tableware for Afternoon Tea

• This is the time to unpack Grandmother’s special china and linens or a charming “mix and match” of eclectic shabby-chic items.
• If teacups are unavailable, request each guest bring her own cup and saucer. It can be an entertaining icebreaker to compare styles and patterns of china.
• When planning in advance, seek out yard and estate sales to collect interesting teacups, saucers, teapots, and table linens for low prices.
• Tea party basics include a china teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, and serving dishes. Besides their cup and saucer, each guest will need a small teaspoon, a fabric napkin, and a dessert-sized plate. Dessert forks may be required as well if cake or trifle are on the menu. Also remember pretty utensils for cutting and serving treats and dipping into delicious toppings.
• Fresh flowers, small flickering candles, and soft music always create an enchanting affect. Also consider seasonal, personal, or other themes as inspiration for decorating the gathering.
• Place cards are another sweet touch.

Planning and Preparing the Teatime Treats

• A quality tea is essential, of course. Earl Grey is a tasty standard, but flavored teas can also be very nice. Provide additions to complement the chosen beverage(s), such as milk, sugar cubes, honey, and lemon slices. These are usually added to the tea after it is poured into the teacups, so they need to be on the dining table.
• English tea fare can be as simple as a beautiful wedge of cake or a few charming tarts or cookies. Lovely light sandwich triangles and other finger foods before the sweets add extra sustenance.
• The English Tea Room website supplies teatime treats such as scone mix, lemon curd and Devonshire cream. They also sell teapots and more.
• Some highly rated books include: Afternoon Tea Serenade: Cookbook with Music CD (Menus & Music Production, May 1997), Tea for All Seasons (by Shelly and Bruce Richardson, Partners Publishers Group, March 2002), and Tea Party: 20 Themed Tea Parties with Recipes for Every Occasion, from Fabulous Showers to Intimate Gatherings (by Tracy Stern and Christie Matheson, Clarkson Potter, April, 2007). All of these books are available at Amazon.com.

Relaxing and Enjoying the English Afternoon Tea Party

• Preparing everything before guests arrive leaves time for visiting and creating an atmosphere of gentility and friendship.
• Also see English Afternoon Tea Etiquette, A Girlfriends' Afternoon Tea Party, Girl's Princess Tea Party Ideas, Best Girls' Easter Tea Party Ideas and English Afternoon Tea for Seniors.
• Remember to sit back and enjoy the fellowship, good talk and delightful food. A charming tea with friends is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

The copyright of the article Afternoon Tea Party Planning 101 in Entertaining is owned by Janienne Jennrich. Permission to republish Afternoon Tea Party Planning 101 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Delicious Tea Party Ceam Scones

English Afternoon Tea

Charming Teacup

What do you think about this article?

---

NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.

post your comment

What is 5+7?

Comments

Jan 10, 2010 7:51 PM

Guest :

It's great! I'm trying to find something 'special' to entertain our bored seniors. A tea party would be something different and get them all together, enjoying one anther's company (I hope).
The link to 'English tearoom' website isn't working, but I will try again.

Jan 20, 2010 6:52 AM

Guest :

A great help for planning a mother-daughter tea for a Girl Scout event.

2 Comments