Are you looking to throw the perfect tea party for your friends or family?
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want to enjoy a fun afternoon with loved ones, a tea party is the perfect way to do it.
In this post , we’ll show you how to host a memorable tea party, complete with tips and ideas that will wow your guests!
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How to Throw the Perfect Tea Party
Choosing a Theme
The first step in throwing the perfect tea party is to choose a theme. A theme will help you plan your decorations, menu, and even the attire of your guests.
Some popular tea party themes include vintage, garden, Alice in Wonderland, and Mad Hatter.
A tea party is also a fabulous idea to celebrate a bridal shower, baby shower, Mother’s Day or a birthday.
Seasonal and Holiday themed tea parties like Christmas, Easter or even a spooky Halloween one would be fun!
Setting the Table
Once you’ve chosen your theme, it’s time to set the table. Make sure you have enough teacups, saucers, and teapots for all your guests.
You can also add a touch of elegance with a tablecloth, place settings, and floral arrangements.
Decorating according to your theme can be a lot of fun because you get to be creative!
I love picking up inexpensive decorations (like Christmas napkins or chargers) from Target and Amazon when I host different tea party themes throughout the year.
You can even use special napkins or make personalized table settings.
If you want to keep it simple, a faux floral stem tied with a ribbon placed on a napkin is a pretty yet easy way to make the table look elegant.
An arrangement of fresh flowers or a small faux floral like this one, would be a soft touch to the table.
If you’re arranging fresh flowers, I recommend a vase like this one so that it also doubles as a centerpiece and it’s low to the table so you’ll still be able to view your guests over top of it.
My mother-in-law loved the tea party we hosted for her so much that she gifted us this set of tea party forks and spoons the following Christmas.
Not only are they SO cute and add to the whimsical vibe of a tea party, they’re perfect for stirring tea and eating dessert.
Serving the Tea
The star of any tea party is, of course, the tea! You can serve a variety of teas, from classic black and green tea to herbal and fruit blends.
You can order a selection of teas online or select at least a few from your local grocery store.
I always have at least one decaffeinated tea to serve to guests.
Make sure to have milk, sugar, and lemon available for guests to add to their tea. You can also serve iced tea or a tea-based cocktail for a fun twist.
It’s always a nice idea, too, to have a pitcher of water for guests who may not prefer tea drinking.
Preparing Delicious Treats
No tea party is complete without delicious treats. You can serve a mix of savory and sweet items, such as finger sandwiches, scones, and petit fours.
You can also customize your menu to fit your theme or dietary restrictions.
I love following the traditional afternoon tea idea of serving a scone or something similar as a ‘first course.’
If you don’t have scones you could always use a store bought pastry or bake biscuits.
You could always serve something like a small salad at this time instead.
Next I serve the tea sandwiches and assortment of small desserts on a tiered tray like this one.
It’s also a good idea to check with your guests throughout the meal to see if they need a refill of their tea!
You can make the desserts yourself or buy assortment of little desserts like mini cakes, cookies or macarons from the bakery section of your grocery store.
Throwing the Perfect Tea Party: Ideas and Recipes
Looking for more inspiration for your tea party? Check out these ideas for a variety of themes and occasions:
- Vintage Tea Party: Serve classic British treats like cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and Victoria sponge cake.
- Garden Tea Party: Embrace nature with floral decorations and serve fresh salads, quiches, and berry tarts.
- Kids Tea Party: Make the party fun for little ones with a teddy bear picnic theme and serve cute treats like teddy bear-shaped cookies and fruit skewers.
- Mother’s Day Tea Party: Show your appreciation for Mom with a special tea party featuring her favorite treats, flowers, and gifts.
If you’re making the tea sandwiches yourself, you can use two slices of bread to make a sandwich. But then cut the crusts off all around before cutting the bread in half twice to make four triangles.
It’s also fun to dress for the theme of your tea party, even if you’re just popping on a pearl detailed headband or fascinator!
Tea Sandwich Ideas
Some examples of tea sandwiches I’ve made that have been popular at tea parties I’ve hosted have been:
- cucumber, dill and cream cheese
- bananas and nutella
- peanut butter and jelly (for kids)
- lunchmeat & cheese (with mustard or mayo)
- egg salad
- shrimp salad
- tuna fish
Tea Party Special Touches
For special occasion tea parties like Mother’s Day, this mold that makes rose shaped ice cubes would make the celebration feel extra fancy.
Filling the ice cube mold and freezing it with a pink juice or drink like pink lemonade would be so pretty and festive.
Place pink rose shaped ice cube in a pretty coupe glass and top with champagne or sparkling wine.
Chill any of that leftover champagne in a wine chiller so you can stay with your guests instead of running back and forth to the kitchen to put it away. This marble wine chiller can also be used as a flower vase or utensil holder!
Another fun way to customize your tea party is with party favors for your guests so they can still feel celebrated after they leave.
Faux peony | teacups | rectangular flower vase | faux tulips | tiered serving tray | headband set | rose ice cube mold | coup glasses set | marble wine chiller | fork & spoon set | teapot | assorted tea set | party favors
SHOP ALL AMAZON TEA PARTY IDEAS HERE!
Hosting the Perfect Tea Party
With these tips and ideas, you can host the perfect tea party for any occasion. Remember to plan ahead, get creative, and have fun with it!
Your guests will appreciate the effort you put into creating a memorable event that they will always remember.
So what are you waiting for?
Start planning your perfect tea party today!
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