How to Plan an Elegant Afternoon Tea Party: My Personal Hosting Experience

Suppose you are like me and are more of a coffee lover than a tea lover, but will fancy an elegant afternoon tea party on occasion; then you have come to the right place. While I don’t particularly enjoy tea, I do love a good scone and those delicious finger sandwiches; also, let’s not forget how beautiful the table setting is. Please tell me I’m not the only one with a fancy tea set that only sees the light of day at tea parties.

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just catching up with friends, picture yourself and your guests sipping on the finest teas and savoring delectable bite-sized pastries and desserts, whether it's in your own home, in your beautiful backyard, or at a luxurious hotel. This blog is your ultimate guide to hosting the most fabulous and delightful tea parties.

The Set Up

When setting up for your afternoon tea party, tablecloths, centerpieces, and place settings are essential. Tablecloths will give your party a more sophisticated look, while centerpieces will bring the entire aesthetic together. When selecting centerpieces, opt for minimalist looks, such as candles arranged together or potted plants. If you are hosting a themed tea party, choose centerpieces that won’t obstruct the view of your guests sitting at each table.

For a place setting, include: a plate, a teacup and saucer, a water glass or a water jug with lemon slices for the entire table to share, a small fork, a dessert spoon, a teaspoon, and a knife.

Remember, afternoon tea parties have a relaxed ambiance with a touch of elegance.

The Menu

The menu for an afternoon tea party typically includes a variety of tea sandwiches, also known as finger sandwiches, due to their size, as the first course. Serve freshly baked scones (now you can be like my sister, make homemade scones, or you can get fresh ones from your local bakery) with jam and clotted cream as the second course. Finish it off with an assortment of delectable bite-sized desserts to bring the entire experience together.

Provide your guests their own individual jars of clotted cream and jam so they can use as much as they want. Have extras on hand because if your guests are like me and love scones and clotted cream, trust me, they will ask for more.

When setting up, use tiered stands to display the menu at each table. Depending on how many sandwiched and dessert you are serving you can do 2 tiered stands; this way your guests can enjoy a variety of sandwiches and desserts. Place the sandwiches on the bottom tier, scones on the middle, and small cakes, pastries or other sweets on the top tier.

Assemble your stands an hour before your guests start to arrive; this will ensure that the sandwiches stay fresh.

Some popular finger sandwiches to serve are:

For guests who are vegetarian- cucumber and cream cheese, cheese and chutney, egg salad, avocado and tomato sandwiches.

Some options for meat and fish lovers- chicken salad, smoked salmon and cream cheese, roast beef with horseradish, and turkey pesto.

If you want to serve non traditional finger sandwiches, you can serve- caprese, goat cheese and roasted red pepper, portobello mushroom and edible lavender and herbed cheese.

Don’t forget about your guests who have a sweet tooth! Some great tea sandwiches to serve are- strawberry and Nutella, Orange Marmalade, banana nut bread, and berries and Brie sandwiches.

If you are someone who loves to show off their culinary skills, then start preparing the fillings for your sandwiches 2 days in advance. You can start assembling your sandwiches the night before and refrigerate them to keep them fresh. One hack I learned is to spread a thin layer of room temperature butter; this will prevent the filling from seeping into bread and making the bread soggy. Nobody wants to eat soggy sandwiches.

The options are unlimited! Don’t be scared to get creative. You can serve finger sandwiches that cater to the theme of your party.

So Much Tea

Not the type of tea you were expecting(haha) but tea is the main attraction at an afternoon tea party.

Along with tea sandwiches and scones, having a variety of tea is a must; English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Ceylon are the most common types of teas served at an afternoon tea party. If you want a variety, offer herbal teas such as Chamomile, Peppermint and Lavender to your guests.

For tea parties taking place during the summer, opt in for iced tea as well. For iced tea, you can do plain iced tea, raspberry, strawberry lemonade iced tea and even peach iced tea.

There is no limit to what type of tea you can serve.

When it comes to seating arrangements, you can opt for a long table where all your guests can sit together, use individual round tables to seat small groups, or create a picnic-style seating arrangement. It all depends on what party style you are going for.

Themes to Consider

When it comes to choosing a theme for your tea party, here are a few options to consider such as a whimsical 'Alice in theme, a ’ theme, a sophisticated Victorian theme, a glamorous 1920s theme, a regal Princess theme, or a refined 'Downton Abbey' theme, among many others.

My Very Own Tea Party

The very first time I organized a tea party was to celebrate my 18th birthday with some of my close friends. The event took place in my backyard because I wanted it to be a casual yet intimate affair.

For the table arrangements, I chose round tables with cream colored tablecloths that could comfortably accommodate at least six guests, with candles decorated by yours truly serving as centerpieces. I decided to rent exquisite tea cups from a local vendor and carefully selected a variety of high-quality teas to offer my guests. To complement the tea, I prepared a delightful assortment of tea sandwiches, including flavorsome chicken salad and refreshing cucumber.

Additionally, I treated my guests to delectable appetizers such as chicken patties. Since it was my special day, I made sure to have a splendid birthday cake along with an array of delightful bite-sized desserts.

To me, an afternoon tea party is a lovely event where you can unwind and savor a good cup of tea with your closest friends.

I hope this blog helps you plan your next afternoon tea party and you have fun while doing it!

Until next time!