High Tea {Tea Party Bridal Shower}

High Tea Bridal Showers are becoming seemingly more popular ever since the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Not sure if it’s due to the “British Invasion” taking over the states or due to the fabulous head pieces (fascinators) gracing the heads of celebrities and royal guests in attendance. Either way, a tea party bridal shower is the perfect occasion to give you a reason to dress up like royals.

The Decor:  The tea tables should be set around lovely floral centerpieces. Treat the event as a formal tea service and include menus and even guest place cards to accompany each place setting. Most standard place settings apply for tea parties; however, the plates and silverware used may be modified to be slightly smaller.

The Details:  We love this contemporary spin on the traditional tea party shower given for bride-to-be Evangelia Apostolidis held at the Jacaranda Country Club in Plantation, FL. The venue even offers an Afternoon Tea menu. No detail was spared from the vibrant floral centerpieces to the tea cup and saucer favors that adorned the place settings complete with tea bags and heart shaped sugar cubes to thank all of the guests for attending. 

The Myth (who says traditional has to be boring): This is a great theme when mixing old traditions with modern twists. Take these napkin rings for example; it’s perfectly fine to add some “bling” to your tea table. Click here to shop diamond napkin rings for your own bridal shower.

“Everyone was talking for weeks leading up to it…they were all really excited to bust out their fascinators. From what I heard, a lot of them were handmade so that must have been fun!” - Evangelia

 What is a Fascinator?

Evangelia, the Bride-to-be, holds her bow
bouquet made from the bridal shower gifts
 that is sure to be used at the
rehearsal dinner 

We turned to the experts at Fascinators NYC to find out. A fascinator is a beautiful hair accessory, head piece, cocktail hat arrangement of feathers, flowers, ribbons and jewels. It is fastened to a comb, clip or a thin headband. A fascinator is a glamorous alternative to a hat and is an outstanding talking point to your regular look. They are commonly worn in Europe, Australia and South Africa to weddings, on cruises or any other formal event. Fascinators are becoming increasingly popular with today’s brides, bridesmaids, flower-girls, mother-of-the-bride, wedding guests and for bridal showers. Wear them on a special night out and be ready to turn heads. The fascinator is one of Kate Middleton’s favorite accessories and she is frequently photographed wearing them. Check out their vast selection of fascinators at ww.americanfascinators.com.

Tea Etiquette – a couple of tips every lady should know before the Tea Party

How to Hold a Tea Cup: The proper way to grip tea cups with handles is by placing the fingers to the front and back of the handle with the pinkie up, but avoid sticking it straight up, it should be slightly bent. Do not loop your fingers through the teacup handle.

Tea cups with no handles are held by placing the thumb at the six o'clock position and the index and middle fingers at the twelve o'clock position, while gently raising the pinkie up for balance. Do not cradle the side or bottom of the cup with your hands.

Do not wave or hold your tea cup in the air. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer. The only time a saucer is raised together with the teacup is at a standing reception.

How to Serve Tea: Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. There is much debate as to whether it is proper to put the milk in first or after, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount. If using sugar or lemon, place the sugar in the cup first, then lemon (never milk and lemon together as this will cause the milk to curdle). Be sure to use thin lemon slices, not wedges.

Remove the tea bag from the cup and place it on a side saucer immediately after the tea has steeped. Never leave the spoon in the glass when drinking your tea.

How to Drink Tea: Sip, don’t slurp, your tea. It is to be enjoyed slowly, not to wash down food with.

Planning a Tea Party Bridal Shower?

Bridal & Baby has you covered! Visit our large selection of tea party invitations and favors. We even offer event planning services. Here’s a sneak peek:

www.bridalandbaby.com 

If you would like to share your shower with us please send photos and details to info@bridalandbaby.com