What once was looked at as stuffy or too traditional, has once again become en vogue. The tea party is the 'it' event with everyone from debutants to bride-to-bes to teens to female CEO's planning a reason to sip. From picking out a location to gathering the silver, we have your 'how tos' on planning an afternoon tea.
Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, introduced the concept of Afternoon Tea in 1841. The Duchess got hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon, and the evening’s meal wasn’t until 8 pm. That meant there was a long time between lunch and dinner. Because no one wants to wait that long to eat, the Duchess asked for a tray of tea, bread, butter, and cake during the late afternoon. It became a habit of hers, and she began inviting friends to join her in her room to enjoy this afternoon snack. Finger sandwiches became a popular staple.
This pause for tea and food became a fashionable social event. During the 1880’s upper-class and society women would wear long gowns, gloves, and hats to Afternoon Tea, which would typically be served in the drawing room between 4 and 5 pm.
Afternoon Tea is much more than a quick sip. It’s a meal in the afternoon and cause for celebration where people enjoy sandwiches, usually cut in small sections or “fingers,” scones, pastries, and even little cakes.
Afternoon Tea events can have as many as two hundred guests.
1. Choose your location - Probably the most important part of your tea planning: location, location, location. Since these are midday affairs, you want somewhere inviting and welcoming, not snobby. A home that well-styled, yet cozy. The location also needs to have flow so guests can meander throughout rooms without feeling set apart from each other. Once the location is chosen, the invitation can be designed. Jennifer Hunt, founder and owner of Alabama paperie Dogwood Hill, says, "An afternoon tea may seem like a stuffy or intimidating affair, but it’s one that can provide the most amount of ease when planning and executing a gathering in honor of a bride or a birthday, a Galentine’s or Derby celebration, or even just a garden tea party for the fun of it. At Dogwood Hill we have a variety of invitations that help set the stage for your tea party whether it is a casual or formal affair, or somewhere in between."
2. Gather the silver - Since 1841, when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, first introduced the concept of 'pause for tea', the ceremony has developed into a sophisticated cause for celebration around the world. Silver trays, cake stands, and teapots are a cherished part of afternoon tea. But it doesn't just look elegant, since ancient times people have prized silver for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. When using a teapot to hold boiled water, the silver releases positive ions which eliminate a wide range of harmful bacteria. The essential piece and star of the show in any afternoon is the silver tea set. Other pieces you may want to incorporate: silver trays, silver can stands, serving utensils, silver spoons, and candlesticks.
3. Plan the menu - Dogwood Hill's Jennifer Hunt states, "No heavy food is required since the party is held between meals - sweet and savory bites can be made in advance and either passed or plated for easy pick up while the host mingles. Of course, serving freshly brewed tea is a must, but make sure to offer other options for your non-tea drinking friends." Some menu suggestions served at Southern teas include: cucumber sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, cheese straws, candied pecans, quiche, chicken salad, petit fours, and butter mints.
4. Florals - Florals should be lush and seasonal. Mix roses with hydrangeas, ranunculus, seeded eucalyptus, and, depending on the season: peonies, lilies, snapdragons in the spring or dahlias, zinnias, beauty berry in the fall. English roses are, of course, a perfect complement to a tea party. A personal touch is to add clippings from your own garden. Whether you have a rose garden, hydrangeas in your front yard, or Jackson vine clippings, any florals or greenery from your own yard bring in character. You can even have colors as themes with an all pink centerpiece or bright pops of colorful florals on the table and throughout the home.