This type of party is meant to make the bride-to-be feel special. It is also intended to help you prepare for life as a couple. She will be showered with items that she will need at home that she will share with her boyfriend.
Hosting a tea party in a tea room is an option
Now that tearooms are popping up everywhere, it can be easy to throw a tea party. Many guesthouses and breakfasts, tea shops and excellent restaurants offer afternoon tea. They can often accommodate your party in a private room. This would make preparing your food a simple matter of choosing items for your menu. They usually have staff ready to help you with your tea party ideas. Making this choice will allow you more time to plan party games and make special favors for guests.
Tea party ideas for the menu.
Bed and breakfast, good hotels, and tea rooms will have two or three suggested menus for you to choose from. This helps you stay on budget. Some places will allow you to make all the decisions about the food to be served. Expect to pay more for this type of option.
Here’s a menu offered at Sisters Special Teas Cafe in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (412) 787-TEAS (8327)
Afternoon tea menu
Cream sandwiches filled with your choice of chicken or shrimp salad
Assortment of tea sandwiches
Mushroom Stuffed Cakes
A variety of teas, breads and scones served with lemon curd, Devonshire cream and preserves
Teas and iced teas
Another menu offered at The Lillagaard Bed and Breakfast located in Ocean Grove, NJ 1- (732-988-1216)
Afternoon Tea at The Lillagaard
Cheese and crackers
Crispy cucumber salad
Assortment of nuts
Vegetable Cream Cheese with Sliced Cucumbers
Chicken curry salad with a slice of Granny Smith apple
Imported Swiss Ham with Cranberry Horseradish
Sliced Egg and Tomato with Feta Cheese
Olive tapenade with pear slices
Smoked turkey with cranberry and dressing
English muffin, with Devonshire cream, lemon curd and preserves
Homemade ricotta cheesecake
Homemade lemon square
Chocolate square
Grapes
Orange slices
Chocolate covered strawberry
Selection of tea, cucumber water
You can see that it is possible to be very substantial or even elegant with less variety.
It is important that the food is delicious. However, the celebration is to honor the future bride.
Often times, a tearoom will allow you to bring unique decorations for your bride. When my last daughter got married, her colors were black and white. There was a beautiful flower arrangement on Lindsey’s table that was perfect for her colors. The bridal party came up with an idea for the other tables that served two purposes. They had a florist make several small bamboo arrangements, with three bamboo shoots in each container. The containers were black. The girls grouped the bamboo in the center of each table. They made a very pretty centerpiece for the party and served as gifts for guests to take home. Many of the guests still have the growing bamboo. I’m sorry to say that while mine lasted a long time, the bamboo eventually succumbed to my ignorance of plants and turned yellow. However, while I had it, it brought back the memory of the bachelorette party every time I passed it.
Another special touch that is very unique to the bride and groom was something called Photofetti. Photographs of Lindsey and her boyfriend were uploaded to a website. In no time, confetti bags with pictures approximately 1 inch in diameter were delivered to use on the tables. What a topic of conversation. There were photographs of the two of all ages. All the guests had a good time remembering them at different stages of their lives.
Let’s consider some games for your tea party shower: Set a timer while the bride-to-be opens her presents. When the timer goes off, the person whose gift is being opened wins a prize. If you want to have more guest participation, here are other game options. Try a question and answer game; Give each guest a list of questions about the bride. The guest who knows the most about her wins a prize. Give special gifts to the person who has been married the longest or the person whose birthday is close to the wedding date.
These are just a few tea party ideas to get you started planning your upcoming events.
