How To Host An Afternoon Tea Party

24/04/2016
How To Host A Vintage Tea Party

Going out for Afternoon tea has made a bit of a comeback in recent years. Unfortunately most places charge at least £20 per person so it can add up to be quite an expensive experience.  However it is so easy to host an afternoon tea party at home.  They are suitable for most occasions.  Whether it’s for birthdays, a baby shower, a Hen do or even just to catch up with friends.
 
On Saturday I hosted an afternoon tea party for my Mum’s birthday.  It’s actually 2 weeks before her birthday but it was the only date that everyone could manage.  It was a lovely, fun afternoon where we had many laughs as we reminisced about years gone by.  Plus we ate lots of sandwiches and cakes.  As it was such a success I thought I would share my top tips with you on how to host an afternoon tea party.
 
 

How To Host A Vintage Tea Party

How To Host A Vintage Tea Party

How To Host An Afternoon Tea Party

 
 

Decide On Numbers:

How many people can you comfortably seat at your table?  No-one wants an elbow in their face when trying to put a piece of carrot cake in their mouth.  It’s better to invite just a few guests and be comfortable rather than have a lot of people crammed around a table squished like sardines.
 

Set a date and time:

As soon as you decide on the date let everyone that you want to invite know.  Bear in mind that not everyone will be able to attend as they may already have plans for that day.
 

Do you have enough vintage crockery for everyone or will you need more:

Being a vintage lover I already have a couple of tea sets as well as cake stands, cutlery and teapots.  If not, then you can pick up tea sets at charity shops or car boot sales quite cheaply.  You could even go for the mismatched look by buying different pieces from different places.
 
 
How To Host An Afternoon Tea Party | Thinking of having a vintage tea party? Here are 8 tips to hosting the best afternoon tea party ever #afternoon #vintage #tea #party #how #to
 
 

Plan your menu: 

Does anyone attending have any dietary requirements such as gluten free, vegan, etc?  Remember and cater for them! Keep it simple with a mix of savoury and sweet foods.  A variety of sandwiches, small cakes, scones with clotted cream and jam, etc is all that’s needed.  Whether you want to buy them in or make them yourself depends on the time and money you have available.
 
I made my own sandwiches using croissants, crustless bread and gluten free bread for me.  Filling them with egg and cress, cherry cola ham with red onion marmalade and the ‘Afternoon Tea Party Must Have’ – cucumber.  I also bought mini vol au vent cases and filled them with prawn marie rose but you could also use mini sausage rolls for another savoury bite.  Although I have baked my own cakes and scones in the past I bought them this time around to save time.
 
 

 
 

Make your table pretty:

Vintage tablecloths work well if you have them.   The embroidered one in my photos was made by my Gran but you can pick these up at car boot sales, eBay or in vintage shops.  Alternatively using a plain white tablecloth (paper or fabric) is just as good.  I bought pastel sugar hearts from an eBay seller instead of using sugar cubes as it added an extra pop of colour to the table.  You could use jars of flowers for a table decoration or even old books to add height to your table and to place your teapot on.
 
 

How To Host An Afternoon Tea Party | Thinking of having a vintage tea party? Here are 8 tips to hosting the best afternoon tea party ever #afternoon #vintage #tea #party #how #to

 
 

Drinks: 

As its a tea party then the obvious choice would be tea but whether you want to stick to Tetley teabags or go for a loose tea that’s up to you.  Remember a tea strainer if you choose the loose version, tea with leaves swimming around will put people off.  Don’t forget about the non-tea drinkers and provide coffee, juice or flavoured water. You could also provide a glass of Champagne or Prosecco for your guests on arrival or a mocktail for the non-drinkers.
 
 

 
 

Dress up:

If you want to go the whole hog with the vintage theme then why not wear a pretty tea dress? Although we didn’t dress up for this tea party I have in the past and wore a floral tea dress and pearls. Makes a change from wearing jeans and a top.
 

Enjoy yourself:

No matter how organised you are there may be an unexpected hiccup that means things don’t always go to plan.  It doesn’t matter, shrug it off and just enjoy the time with your friends and have a laugh. We had been chatting over the glasses of Champagne for longer than expected and the bread on my cucumber sandwiches had started to curl up and go hard.  Some fresh slices of bread, spread of dairy free cream cheese and the cucumber sandwiches were back in business.
 
 
How To Host A Vintage Tea Party

 
 
I hope that you found this how to host an afternoon tea party post helpful.  Have you hosted an Afternoon Tea Party?  Got any tips to share? Let me know your tips below.
 
 

If you are looking for other How To posts:

 

How To Host A North Pole Breakfast

How To Date Babycham Glasses

 

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