9 Steps for Hosting The Ultimate Spring Birthday Tea Party
Hi friends - I've missed you all. Things are rapidly changing for us all. Many of us are working from home these days, stopped gathering with family and weekend outings are basically trips to the supermarket to restock. It's the least that we can do to help stop the spreading of this horrific virus that is changing the world as we know it.
That being said, I am so glad that I got to spend time with family and friends two weeks ago when we all came together for the celebration of my Goddaughter Daniella's birthday. We had a blast and the memories made are ones that will live in my heart forever.
My sincerest thank you to everyone that helped me put this beautiful event together. Especially my cousin, Jennifer of Having Fun Crafts, for making all the gorgeous place cards and backdrops. They were a beautiful addition to the overall decor. A big thank you and hug to my niece Ericka for flying in from Florida to help me put it all together and to the amazing Danielle Lehr Schagrin who delighted us with the enchanting sounds of her beautiful vintage harp... My nephew Jose for the entertaining and fun makeup masterclass. And finally, to my wonderful husband, Angel and his friend Wilson, for playing bartenders for the day. You were both phenomenal and were the talk of the party! I couldn't have asked for a better team...
Below are my steps for putting it all together with an article written for Cottages and Bungalows magazine. I hope you enjoy all the photos!
9 Steps for Hosting The
Ultimate Spring Birthday Tea Party:
“Celebrate the birthday girl
in a truly classy way by hosting a tea party
themed birthday. Here’s how to pull off a tea party that your
friends
won’t forget.”
There are certain celebrations that are genuinely exceptional
and become memories that will last a lifetime.
For me, one of those stand-out gatherings will always be my Goddaughter’s birthday
tea party.
So, when my Goddaughter asked me to put together her
afternoon tea themed birthday party, I jumped at the chance to create a tea
party that was Downton Abbey worthy. I
invited a few of her closest girlfriends, recruited my cousin Jennifer to help
with the decorations, my husband and his best friend to be the bartenders - and
for the ultimate teatime indulgence, I brought in a harpist.
If you’re planning a spring tea party, check out my
steps for creating the ultimate tea party experience for your guests.
Step 1 – Venue
You can host a tea party practically anywhere, but
there are certain types of venues that work best for this theme. You can go to a formal tea room or hotel that
offers afternoon tea in your area. But
if you are on a budget, your home or backyard can be just as lovely.
We chose to have the event in our home because it was
the ideal setting and had enough space to comfortably fit everyone. As the hostess, always remember to check if
you have enough space for tables, chairs, food displays and parking
arrangements.
My goddaughter wanted a pink and gold color palette for
her party with a play on spring’s soft pastels for the ultimate girlie and
feminine vibe. Limit your color palette to three or four
complementary hues for a sophisticated effect. Pull out your vintage pieces for
inspiration — floral china, patterned runners, and place cards all fit the
theme of a tea party, and you can use them as decor!
Step 3 – Tea Tables
When it comes to tea tables, your main focus should be
on creating a table that is bursting with vintage charm and feminine
accents. For this event, I chose to use round
tables because they were the best option for our space.
I set the tables with simple round white tablecloths,
added a striped pink and white table runner and decorated the tables teapots,
cake stands, mini wine bottles and place cards to create both interest and to
have a table that was overflowing with beautiful details. The place setting
started with a baby pink and gold charger, gold rim white dinner plate and
topped with the most feminine floral accent plate. To complete the place setting, I used gold
flatware, gold rim champagne flutes, and, of course, a dainty tea cup. The tables turned out exactly as I pictured in
my mind. Such an excitement to see a
picture come together!
Step 4 – Seating
If you are hosting a large group, consider renting the
chairs. I know it may be a splurge, but honestly,
how many of us have matching chairs for more than 8 to 10 people. Since I had a group of twenty, I decided that
renting the chairs was the way to go. It
was a large chunk of my budget and totally worth it because it made everything
look seamless and gave the feel of a professional hall.
Step 5 – Flowers
Flowers are a must in any tea party. I like to keep it simple; I like garden-style
flower arrangements that aren't overly neat or perfect. Always go for the
classic flowers like roses, peonies, carnations, and tulips with touches of
greenery.
In terms of the decorations, a mix of vintage and
romantic styles is a good rule to follow.
It doesn’t necessarily mean
having all of the decor look matchy-matchy.
It’s about creating an event that is a bit eclectic and shabby chic. You can put your aunties mis-matched china
and lacy tablecloths to good use.
Combine them with fresh flowers, favors, and tiered cake stands to create a
whimsical, cozy vibe. Your local thrift store is a great source — you can find
vintage plates and teacups galore without breaking the bank. Backdrops are extremely popular these days. Consider a balloon arch or backdrop with paper flowers for your party. They are easy to make and look incredible. My cousin Jennifer made the gorgeous backdrops shown here and they really took the decor to the next level.
No tea party is
complete without tea sandwiches, scones and sweet treats. And If you're following a traditional British
tea menu, there are a few items that you can't skip. For the savory course —
cucumber, watercress egg salad, and smoked salmon are three popular types. Pair
these with bite-sized desserts, such as sponge cakes, trifles, scones, and a
variety of toppings, like jam, clotted cream, and marmalade. Be sure to serve
them on a tiered cake stands. They save
space on your table and make a great centerpiece.
Traditionally,
tea party attire follows a semi-formal dress code. For the ladies, this means elegant dresses and
skirts that are a bit fancier than what you'd wear to work, but there's no need
to rock a full-length, formal gown. Pastels colors, delicate patterns, and
short silhouettes are all appropriate — just avoid anything that's too casual
or revealing. Our guests played the
part! They wore their pearls, hats and
the most gorgeous fancy dresses. I am so
proud of them.
Step 9 – Entertainment
When hosting a party, always consider your entertainment. This means music, activities or games. It's just a way to keep your guests engaged and to keep the mood lively.
For our tea party, our guests were treated by a live performance by a local harpist while they sipped their tea. This doesn’t mean that you have to hire a performer for your party but do play a few soft tunes while your guests are gathered.
For our tea party, our guests were treated by a live performance by a local harpist while they sipped their tea. This doesn’t mean that you have to hire a performer for your party but do play a few soft tunes while your guests are gathered.
Our guests were also treated to a fun and very instructive makeup masterclass by my nephew Jose. The class included all the basics of makeup - From applying foundation, concealer, eyelashes and sculpting. The girls had a blast!
It was a joy to gather with all the young ladies and spend time together. We sipped on tea, nibbled on tea sandwiches and had plenty of laughs. I don’t think any one of them wanted the afternoon to end. It just proves that a tea party can be thrown for any occasion. Mine happened to be my Goddaughter’s birthday, but this theme is ideal for a bridal shower, Mother’s Day, baby showers, or just-because. Any excuse for a tea party works for me and I am sure it works for you too!
What an amazing party!!!Such beauty!
ReplyDeleteGracias Maristella. I appreciate your kind words friend. Stay safe and healthy. My blessings.
DeleteJanet
Simply fabulous birthday tea party ! Your godchild sure is a lucky girl to have you as a "madrina" with all your great taste and skills for tablescaping.
ReplyDeleteI love each table setting with your beautiful plates, teacups and accessories.
Now we have to be indoors and without socializing of any kind.
Keep safe and blessings.
Fabby
Gracias mil Fabby. You comment means everything my friend. You know how much we love entertaining and organizing events together. I had so much fun putting this one together. I had a great team assisting too. We are officially in mandatory lockdown so let's see how long it takes before we get cabin fever. Keep safe and healthy amiga. My prayers and blessings.
DeleteJanet
Beautiful ! Stunning tables
ReplyDeleteThank you Ofelia. That means so much. So appreciate your sweet comment.
DeleteJanet
What a beautiful tea party! Every detail was thought through very carefully and it shows. The tables are lovely, and the ladies look so feminine! It’s so nice that they were willing to play along. What a great job!
DeleteWOW! What a marvelous party! I love it all. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteJanet, how fun!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete