A tea party is probably the most convenient and elegant way to tackle afternoon events. You can use it for anything from an anniversary, baby shower, birthday party, social gathering, and pre-wedding event. Traditionally, afternoon parties are perceived to be quite formal, but that doesn’t have to be the case nowadays. You can work with a catering service to make sure that you get the most fun and interesting tea party, no matter the event.

To make a proper tea party, there are a lot of things you need to consider. For example, you need to think about the type of foods you’re going to present with the tea. Do you want to go for the traditional English scones with jelly, or do you want it to have a unique twist with delicate tapas dishes instead? What about the dress codes? How do you make sure that everybody is dressed appropriately to your theme?

If you’re concerned with these issues, then you’re in luck. We have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to hold an afternoon tea event below. You can discuss these steps in details with your catering service to ensure the most memorable tea party ever!

Invitations

To start off, you need to think about the theme of the event. Think about the formality and the theme of the event and arrange your invitations accordingly. Each style of invitation has a different level of formality. For example, an email invitation is usually perceived to be more casual and homely, while a serious calligraphed invitation is obviously more serious and formal. You can also include a dress code in the invitation to ensure that every attendee gets the memo as well.

Food Preparation

Afternoon tea parties and finger foods are inseparable. Traditional English afternoon tea catering usually consists of sweet pastries like scones, cakes, bread, and fruits. If you’re looking for a more international event, you can offer tapas dishes, cold cut plates, cheeses, and sandwiches to tie your guests over. You need to make sure that it’s consistent with your theme, as you’d want your party to be coherent to ensure that the event is classy and graceful.

Arranging Your Table

Moving on from the food to the arrangements. First, you need to think about the venue. Is it indoor or outdoor? Will there be a speech podium of some sort? How can you arrange the tables so that everybody has easy access to the food? How is the table going to be decorated? We also suggest that you have a themed food table as well. For example, an English tea table should be where the scones and English cakes are, and the oriental table is lined with green tea and Japanese sweets. Your guests are guaranteed to be satisfied this way.

Serving Hot Beverages

As tradition dictates, the teacups and saucers are to be placed on the left of the teapot. If your afternoon tea event is a rather formal one, then you should keep these classic tea traditions in mind. Additionally, you should make sure that the tea is brewed ahead of time so that the guests can refill their pot easily. This will help the event to go smoother and ensure that all of your guests have enough tea to enjoy. Also, make sure that you provide each table with a way to discard their teabags and spoons so that they don’t pile up on the plates, making it looks messy and dirty.

Decorations

As for the decorations, we suggest you talk to a florist. You can tell them the event’s theme, budget, and preferred colours. This will help to keep the decorations that fit with the rest of the party.

Hiring High Tea Catering Team

We understand that all of this can be overwhelming to think about, which is why you might need professional help. A high-tea catering specialist can help you to come up with an appropriate theme for your event. What’s more is that you can be a part of every process and this will ensure that the party has your characteristics in it. So, if you’re looking to come up with an idea for an afternoon tea party, give Elegant Touch a call today.

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