Fact:  There’s nothing like a fancy tea party to make people feel loved, appreciated, pampered, and even a bit spoiled.  So, they’re the perfect way to celebrate a beloved sister, friend, co-worker, (or whoever!) that’s getting married or having a baby.  And what about your mom?  What better way to show Mom some love on Mother’s Day than to throw an afternoon tea party with all the trimmings?

All you need are some dainty teacups and plates, tiny tea spoons, flowers, candles, yummy little sandwiches (with the crusts cut off!), delicious teas, and decadent desserts all stacked on lovely three-tiered trays.  Easy, right?  Just kidding!  But don’t panic if you don’t have all of these special things because I DO and I would love to share them with you so you can celebrate the special people in your life with this one- of-a-kind event!

To get started with some inspo, check out my tea party page here!

Here are some easy steps to tea party success:

1. Colors/theme for your party?

What colors do you want for your teacups and plates?  Pastel pinks with roses?  Blues and purples?  Adorable landscape scenes from the English countryside?  I have dozens and dozens to choose from. Let me know your theme or color palette and I will put together a collection just for you. 

Then, on the day, I can deliver, set it all up for you, tiptoe away, and come back later to take it all down if you wish so you can relax and enjoy every moment of your celebration. 

No matter what, I always do all the dishes so you don’t have to worry about that!

2. Tea, of course!

You can find all kinds of wonderful teas in the Seattle at places like the Queen Mary Emporium (connected to the Queen Mary Tea Room which is AMAZING!)  near University Village and the Perennial Tea Room near Pike Place Market.  My favorite flavors at the Queen Mary are Highland Breakfast and Queen’s Earl Grey.  They also have an incredible assortment of gorgeous tea books, teacups, teapots, and tea related gifts of all kinds at the Emporium.  At the Perennial Tea Room I always pick up some Paris blend (decaf is available!) and Tower of London. 

3. Delicious food

After you’ve got your table settings and teas figured out, it’s time for some fantastic food!  Again, don’t stress. You can either make the essentials, buy everything you need, or, my favorite, do a mixture of both. Of course, there are a million ideas online but all you really need are some scones with butter and jam, a few types of little sandwiches, maybe some fruit and a couple of delicious desserts. 

For sandwiches, choose a couple of combos that are easy to put together like cucumber with cream cheese, egg salad, or lemon and goat cheese. You can select different types of bread for each one and even cut them into different shapes for fun.  But if you’re feeling crunched for time, just cut them in half as triangles or rectangles and call it good.

For dessert, you can bake a cake or a batch of your favorite cookies.  When in doubt, or out of time, I recommend buying anything at all at Le Panier or Bakery Nouveau for desserts your guests will ooh and aaah about.

Remember:  Food items at tea are always tiny so feel free to divide desserts into bite size portions.

4.  Party favors?

If you want to include some kind of little memento for your guests, think of something they can take home and really enjoy such as handmade soap or candle by a local maker. 

My favorite? Sweet little bouquets that do double duty as table décor and a take home treat.  You can use tiny vases or jars you have on hand or that can easily be found at thrift stores.  Keep them small so that they’re not in the way of all the teacups, teapots, and tiered trays. 

Last but not least, consider having someone act as the “Tea Mum” and pouring the tea for each of your guests.  Teapots can be notoriously heavy and awkward to pour when sitting down and your guests will feel so special as you wait on them!

If you want to host a tea party, but you’re still not sure about how to pull it off, schedule a quick chat here and I’ll help you get started!

It will be easy, I promise!  And your guests will never forget it.