Afternoon Tea Party and Tea Bag Invitation

 

It's been quiet around Milkshakes and Pattycakes lately. I've been prepping for a very important event- an intimate tea party for a small group of ladies. I think wintertime is perfect for a tea party as it works well indoors on even the most cold and blustery day. Here is a peek at our afternoon tea party- recipes to come in the following posts!

 

 

I hand delivered a tea bag invitation to my guests. I used scalloped scissors to cut out a piece of card, wrote on it, and glued it to the paper tag on the tea bag string. I popped them in little organza bags, with an extra teabag, to give out. The most important thing is to choose teabags that look ok (these were little pyramids) and smell fabulous (rose and French vanilla for me). The process was so simple and yet made a big impact.

 

 

 

I love the fact that I was able to make our tea party look and feel special without buying anything new for the table. Everything I used was mine or borrowed from Mum, and makes me think that I have just the right amount of classic yet versatile tableware. My white tablecloth, linen napkins, silver spoons and champagne glasses for punch made the table feel a bit special for a Saturday afternoon, yet can also be used everyday (my silver mixes with my stainless). Paired with Mum's English china teacups and silver milk and sugar set, the table 'set' the right note for a girly gathering.

 

At afternoon tea a side plate and cake fork and spoon is all guests need for nibbling with.

 

It's important to know what tea you're having at a tea party. I found these great blackboard tags for $1 each on the morning of! I ended up attaching them to the handle of my teapots with a looped rubber band.

 

 

Two classic teas and the invitation tea bags were on offer.

 

 

My menu included two types of sandwiches, caramel tarts, macarons and brownies. Guests contributed scones with jam and cream (a must-have!), fruit salad and punch. Small coconut cakes with pink icing originally replaced brownies on the menu, but I ran out of time to make them. Recipes for these five treats to come!

 

The full spread (slightly nibbled on). I used my English china plates to serve on, alongside a domed cake stand and flower bowl for fruit salad.