Tips for Throwing a Tea Party
how to throw a tea partycanada
(Jan.31.12)
Prep and Planning
It's no secret that Assistant Editor Mia Shulman has an eye for style and top-notch taste. So when she offered to give us an inside look at her recent tea party, we jumped at the chance. With fine china, tea sandwiches and a few of her favourite friends, this was one afternoon fête we can't wait to try out for ourselves.
Dinner parties, as wonderful as they are, can be brutally formal. (What is it about trivets and napkin rings that cause everyone to be on their best behaviour?) With a friend's 24th birthday on the horizon, I wanted to entertain and give friends an opportunity to dress up and indulge, while still keeping the atmosphere casual (and my heart palpitations at a minimum).
Enter the afternoon tea party.
Prepping was simple. I created lists, starting with invites and covering everything from the menu to the music. When I was strapped for ideas, I started a Tea Party Inspiration board on Pinterest. (Be sure to sign up for Pinterest and follow sweetspot.ca, if you haven't already!) It was a great place to organize my ideas and get a visual for the afternoon.
Click through the gallery for my tips on entertaining and to see photos from our afternoon fête.