So now you’re thinking about having an Afternoon Tea and you know where to start. Let me show you what I put together for my Spring Tea. Oh, what fun it was!
- I decided on a tea party for four, knowing that it would be more manageable to prepare for than a large group. Tea sandwiches are labor intensive and I didn’t want my guests to have to bring anything.
- I borrowed lots of Tea Time magazines from the library to get ideas for table décor and the menu. (I’ll be sharing my menu in Part Three.)
- I borrowed most of my tea accoutrements from my mother who used to have a business catering tea parties and giving inspirational talks. Again, don’t feel pressured to do everything properly. It is ok to use what you have.
- I selected all my table décor, one of my favorite things to do! But I was trying to stay on a budget, so this is how I did it.
- I bought my table linen at a party rental company. See this post for details.
- I used a coupon at Joann’s and bought some fabric for a runner. Now, I don’t really sew, so I ironed it to the size I wanted and (shh!) just used masking tape underneath to keep it together.
- I used a coupon and partial gift card for Michael’s to buy these sweet flowers to hang from my chandelier.
- I bought the potted gerber daisy centerpiece, something that would last longer than just a bouquet. Now, it was a bit too tall, but turned properly, we could all see each other.
- I used 6″ tulle and flowers I already had for the chair sashes.
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- People enjoy seeing their names, so I put place cards on the napkins.
- For music, I played the soundtrack from Pride and Prejudice, an absolute favorite of mine. Any instrumental or classical music would work.
- I burned a spring scented candle in another room. It smelled great!
- I chose one ‘ice-breaker’ type question to ask my guests during lunch: Who from the Bible would they like to have lunch with, excluding Jesus. The answers were really fun to hear.
- For favors, I wanted to keep in some sort of Spring theme, so I gave everyone birdseed in these cute take-out containers.
In the next post, I’ll share my menu and tea selections.
Other Posts in this Series:
Host an Afternoon Tea (Part One)
The Tea Menu: Host an Afternoon Tea (Part Three)
(Please note: most product links in this series are my Amazon referral links and I will get a very small percentage of any sales using these links. If you’re uncomfortable with that, please go directly to Amazon or another source to find the product. I am linking most of all to show the kinds of products you may need for your tea.)
Love the chair sashes. What a great touch
Thanks! Super simple, but effective. 🙂