Bridal Shower Tea Party

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The Beauty of a Bridal Shower
Tea Party

-- Bridal Shower Tea Party --

Tea parties are such special things: intimacy, relaxation, the childlike joy at feeling as though you've somehow stolen into the past.

A bridal shower tea party is no different, except perhaps in that it is even more special.

Use this guide to consider how you'll make each aspect of the bridal shower as elegant, as fun, or as fanciful as you want them to be.

1. Planning Tips
Most bridal shower themes can be pulled off regardless of the size of your guest list. A bridal tea party, however, is a different matter. Traditionally, a hostess and only a couple of her friends would meet for tea. Thus the Victorian tea party became renowned for its cozy, personal air. The feel of your bridal shower will vary hugely if you're expecting ten guests or two hundred. And in this case, respecting tradition is best. A bridal shower tea party with thirty or fewer guests is ideal; it can still feel intimate.

When choosing the location for a bridal tea party, the simple answer is: at home. Women have been inviting guests to tea at their houses for centuries. Could any of the bridesmaids or the bride's close relatives open up their home for the shower? If the party is taking place over autumn or winter, you might seat guests before a roaring fireplace. In warmer months, a garden creates a striking backdrop for a bridal tea. If you'd prefer to have someone else prepare the food, take care of the centerpieces, and otherwise create the perfect atmosphere, reserve a room at a nearby tea house.

Tea time originated to quell the appetite between the two meals of the day: breakfast and a customarily late dinner. This "middle" time shaped the light yet satisfying dishes served at a tea party. The perfect time to hold your bridal shower tea party ranges from noon to the late afternoon hours.

2. Invitations
You have so many exciting options for bridal shower tea invitations, I've dedicated an entire page to them! Homemade invitation ideas, examples of poems and proper wording, and tips on purchasing the best invitations will help you discover what's right for your party.

3. Elegant Decorating
Establish the bridal shower tea party's distinct character with these Victorian decorating tips.

Arrange several small tables - round or square - in the room rather than one or two long tables.

Cover tables with white linen or lace tablecloths. Scour thrift shops and antique stores for them, or have the lengths cut at a fabric store.

Set out real plates, saucers, and teacups. Use China if you have them. Ask the bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and relatives to donate their plates and cups so that you have enough for everybody. The same goes for glasses, silverware, sugar bowls, and creamers.

If you wish to designate seating, create a lovely place card for each guest.

Hang paintings depicting Victorian life, or frame an embroidered sampler.

Place green plants around the room.

Allow in as much natural sunlight as possible. Or, for a soft, warm glow, use only low lighting. If you can control the light with a dimmer switch, lower it to a comfortable setting. Otherwise, use a lamp or two as your dominant light source. Accentuate the feel of a Victorian tea party by lighting several candles or a fireplace. You may need to turn up the lights when the bride opens her gifts.

Drape a tapestry across the wall.

Lay table runners or doilies beneath lamps and vases.

-- Bridal Shower Tea Party --

4. Inspired Centerpieces

An ornate vase of fresh flowers, particularly roses, brings Victorian elegance to each table.

Arrange fruit in an antique bowl. Encourage guests to help themselves to it throughout the meal.

Insert tall candles into pretty candle holders, and group several of them together.

Lay a handful of flowers in an old teapot.

5. A Victorian Tea Party Menu
What would a bridal shower tea party be without traditional Victorian fare? These foods are as quaint as they are delicous!

Set out the cuisine buffet-style. This way, you prevent each small table from being crowded with serving dishes (and you get to showcase your skills at creating gorgeous platters of food)!

Fill finger sandwiches with spreads, not cut meats. Serve with crusts removed, cut into triangles:

Cream cheese and walnut sandwiches. Add a bit of nutmeg, too!

Egg salad sandwiches.

Chicken salad sandwiches.

Watercress and cream cheese.

A variety of desserts:

Strawberries with cream.

Old-fashioned tea cakes.

Petit fours.

Sugared almonds and pecans.

Gingerbread.

Warm scones (cranberry, chocolate chip, etc) served with devonshire cream.

Beverages:

A wide selection of teas, including black, white, green, oolong, and herbal teas.

Lemonade.

Freshly brewed iced tea.

Tea accompaniments:
You may want to have these staples setting at each guest table.

Sugar cubes.

Artificial sweetener.

Milk (cream is for coffee).

Lemon slices.

6. Music to their Ears
Your guests will feel as though they've stepped into a real Victorian tea party when lovely classical music floats in the background. Orchestral arrangements and piano solos lend an air of opulence and grace to a bridal shower tea party.

7. Traditional Crafts
Victorian women spent their afternoons creating finely-wrought handiwork.

Embroidery. Surprise the bride with a gift you've put your heart into. First decide what object you want to embroider - dish towels, a tea cozy, pillowcases - or whether you intend to frame it as a wall hanging. Find an embroidery pattern you like that complements the item you'll be working with. You might embroider bridal motifs, florals, a quote, or just one of the bride's favorite images. She'll cherish it for all the thought, effort, and love behind it.

Pressed flowers. This craft offers so much variety for a bridal shower tea party. Pressed flowers are not only perfect for a before-the-party project such as place cards, but your guests can get in on the fun at the bridal shower, making beautiful bookmarks or candles. If you would like a craft at the tea party, set up a work station for all your materials. Offer a variety of flower heads, petals, ferns, and leaves for decorating. Follow this link for simple project ideas, courtesy of HGTV. What's particularly nice is that the finished product doubles as a favor for each guest - a favor she's bound to love since it's her own work of art!

-- Bridal Shower Tea Party --

8. Bridal Tea Party Game Prizes
Bestow one of these upon a game prize winner, and the rest of your guests will beg to play again.

Fancy hand fans: lace, silk, or fans printed with Victorian graphics.

Miniature antiqued metal picture frames.

Vintage book of Victorian etiquette.

9. Bridal Shower Tea Favors
When it comes to favors, a bridal tea affords you the freedom to either run with the Victorian aspect of your party or with tea itself. These favors are both practical and charming.

Lace bookmarks.
Heart-shaped tea infusers.
Potpourri sachets.
Adorable teabag rests.

10. Extra Touches
Just when the bride - and your guests! - didn't think the bridal shower tea party could be any more unique than it is...

Put a Victorian twist on the standard bridal shower umbrella with an elegant lace parasol.

Just for fun, read the bride's future in tea leaves. Tea leaf reading was an ancient tradition that regained popularity during the Victorian era. The internet offers a wealth of instruction on how to decipher the "meaning" encoded in various patterns.

11. Bridal Shower Gifts

For the woman who holds tea in highest regard:

Teapot suited to the bride's taste.
Tea Cozy.
Cast iron trivet.
Teapot cookie cutters.
Tins of imported teas.
Book of Tea Rooms across England or America.
Glass teapot and flowering tea blossom.

For the true Victorian at heart:

A gorgeous, old-fashioned marriage certificate.
Personalized address labels depicting Victorian images.
Needlepoint or lace coasters.
Vintage replica telephone.

Here are some of our favorite tea-themed bridal shower supplies

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The Beauty of a Bridal Shower Tea Party

Here are some of our favorite tea-themed bridal shower supplies

The Beauty of a Bridal Shower
Tea Party