Today I’m delighted to show you, step-by-step, how to plan and host a tea party. In this post, I will share 10 practical tips for the everyday person to plan, prepare, and host a tea party (at any scale of attendance).
Use this post to plan a simple party for yourself and a friend or to plan a bridal shower, baby shower, mother’s day tea party, Christmas tea party, or any other special occasion. Whether you’re serving one person or 100 people, this post is meant to help you think through the process of hosting in a very practical, hands-on kind of way.
While I would never call myself an “Expert” on what tea time should be, I can certainly call myself experienced. I’ve attended and hosted many, many, many tea parties in my life, since I was a little girl until today.
Growing up, my family hosted themed tea party bridal showers, baby showers, and much more. It is my hope that this guide will provide you with lots of practical “How-to” nuts-and-bolts tips for making your party a tea-room-quality experience for everyone.
In this tutorial, you will learn:
- How to determine what tea party you are planning to host (choosing a theme/style)
- Learn the difference between a luncheon tea, afternoon tea, or high tea
- Make a guest list
- Tips for making invitations
- Plan the menu
- How much to make per person
- Preparing food ahead of time
- Making the perfect cup of tea
- Planning your table settings
- Some great teatime recipes
Tea parties can be as simple as a cup of tea with a friend or as complicated as a large-scale event. However you scale it, tea parties are for true tea enthusiasts.
If that’s you, I hope you’ll find lots of value in this post. Also, make sure to check out my ebook, “Make Time for Tea“! It’s the ultimate recipe handbook for making the perfect tea party, with 30+ delicious tea time recipes in 7 beautiful, unique chapters!
Now, let’s get into the details of planning the perfect tea party. Here are 10 simple afternoon tea party ideas:
1 – Choosing a theme/style
The first thing you’ll want to do is determine what kind of an event you are hosting. Grab a pen and paper, and jot down one of the following options to determine what kind of party you are wanting to plan.
- Tea party at home with family
- A small informal tea party
- Small-scale formal party
- Large-scale formal tea party (such as a shower, fundraiser, or other)
- Other (you decide!)
2 – Afternoon tea, luncheon tea, and high tea
In this post, I will refer to three types of tea parties as a framework by which to build your tea party plan. I have called them “Afternoon tea,” “Luncheon tea,” and “High Tea.”
Technically, both luncheon tea and afternoon tea would fall under the category of “Afternoon tea,” since both are more of the “Fancy frills” kinds of tea parties that one would have in the afternoon as a dainty (and generous) snack.
What is “High Tea”?
High tea is the name for tea time as a meal, in more of a low-key, after work sort of way. Back in the day, to my understanding, high tea would take place by common people after a workday, and would be served as a full meal at a high table with high-backed chairs (hence, the name).
My “Luncheon tea” could also fall into this category, except that I recommend this take place mid-day (high tea would typically take place at the end of the work day, around dinner time). Also, my luncheon tea is much more similar in most of its makeup to afternoon tea (in that its primary menu is lots of small, dainty snack-style finger foods).
To plan a high tea party, I’ll list some suggestions below for making an evening tea time spread for dinner.
Consider the time of day
When planning a tea party, you’ll need to ask is what time of day this tea party will take place.
If it is a late morning event (10am-12), you’ll want to plan a luncheon tea party. For an afternoon tea party (1-4pm), you can plan a simple spread of tea and dessert for afternoon tea. If you plan to serve tea as a dinner option (5-7pm), consider making a high tea party.
3 – Making a guest list
The next thing you’ll need to do is make your guest list. This will help you plan for how many places to set, how much food and tea to make, and what kinds of special thought might be needed to consider your guests individual needs.
Write down the names of each person you’d like to invite, and make sure your home or venue can accommodate the number of people you expect to attend.
4 – Tea party invitations
At some point, I would love to make a tutorial for how to make handmade tea party invitations on your own; however, today I’m going to give you my super quick and easy options for making this happen efficiently.
- Amazon
If you search “Tea party invitations,” you can literally purchase pre-made blank invitation cards that are only missing the details. Check here to see if there is a design you like, and voila! There you go. Pre-made, beautiful invitations. - Canva
Canva.com is a great place to go for designing your own tea party invitations and making them unique. Or, if you want something simple: you can even select a pre-made invitation template, and just order the cards right to your doorstep. Either way, Canva is a great resource for making beautiful invitations. - Vista Print
Vistaprint.com is another great resource for making inexpensive, beautiful invitations. If you are planning a wedding, baby shower, or bridal shower, this is a great place to look for making your invitations and getting them printed professionally.
In a nutshell, your invitations should include:
- Who/what the event is for
- Dress code details (if applicable)
- The date of the event
- What time it will begin
- Where it will be hosted
- When guests should RSVP
- A request for guests to specify any special dietary needs
5 – Planning the menu
Now you need to plan the menu. Consider the diet of your guests: have you invited anyone with allergies, intolerances, or other special dietary needs?
Asking these questions will help you plan a well rounded menu, which will serve everyone attending well. Here are some examples of menus that I would use as a template for “Luncheon Tea,” “Afternoon Tea,” or “High Tea.”
Luncheon Tea
To make a luncheon tea spread, I like to prepare a variety of both sweet and savoury finger foods. Here’s what I suggest:
- 2-3 kinds of small finger sandwiches (such as chicken salad, egg salad, or the classic cucumber sandwiches)
- Assorted vegetables
- Dip for the vegetables
- Cold cuts and cheese
- Fresh fruit
- 2 small desserts
- Scones
- Jam, butter, and Devonshire Cream, for the scones
- Tea
- Milk and sugar, to serve with the tea
- Juice for small children in attendance (optional)
- Water
Afternoon tea
For afternoon tea, I recommend making a spread similar to the following:
- 3 small desserts
- 1 cake (or a 4th dessert option instead)
- Scones
- Jam, butter, and Devonshire Cream, for the scones
- Fresh fruit
- Tea
- Milk and sugar, to serve with the tea
- Juice for small children in attendance (optional)
- Water
High Tea
To make a high tea spread, I suggest preparing a simple meal with at least one hot element, with several dainty sides. Here’s what I suggest:
- Soup
- Salad or assorted fresh vegetables with dip
- A savory quiche or meat pie
- Fresh fruit
- 2 small desserts
- Scones
- Jam, butter, and Devonshire Cream, for the scones
- Tea
- Milk and sugar, to serve with the tea
- Juice for small children in attendance (optional)
- Water
6 – How much to make per person
Making the right amount per person will help you to make sure there’s enough to go around and some to spare for leftovers. Below, I’ve outline the quantities you need to make a generous tea room quality spread for any occasion:
Luncheon spread:
I recommend making:
- 1-1.5 cups of tea per person (250ml-375ml)
- 2 small sandwiches per person (or 1 of each kind)
- 1 whole vegetable per person
- 1 small portion of fruit per person
- 2 pieces of dessert
- 1 scone per person (+trimmings)
Afternoon spread:
I recommend making:
- 1-1.5 cups of tea per person (250ml-375ml)
- 3 pieces of dessert per person
- 1 small portion of fruit per person
- 1 scone (+ trimmings)
High tea spread:
I recommend making:
- 1-1.5 cups of tea per person (250ml-375ml)
- 1/2-1 cup (125ml-250ml) soup per person
- 1 generous spoonful of salad per person (or 1 whole vegetable per person)
- 1 portion of the meal’s centerpiece (such as 1 piece of quiche or 1 piece of meat pie per person)
- 1 small portion of fruit per person
- 2 pieces of dessert per person
- 1 scone per person (+trimmings)
How much tea to prepare:
You should plan to have at least 1-1.5 cups of tea per person (250ml-375ml). 1 large standard tea pot will usually make about 4-5 cups (1 L) of tea. To make sure you know how much yours can hold, fill it with water and then pour it into a measuring pitcher ahead of time (in order to plan ahead accurately).
Most china tea cups will not hold 1 cup of tea (more like 1/2 cup). Most standard mugs will hold 1-1.5 cups of tea.
To keep large quantities of tea hot, consider making your tea in a large tea carafe or thermos.
Offering tea variety
For a large tea party, you can’t prepare fully steeped tea for a whole myriad of flavors, but you can certainly offer your guests some variety. I would recommend choosing one good quality black tea (such as English Breakfast or Earl Grey) and one (decaf) herbal tea option.
You can also stock several other tea options, ready to be made at a guest’s special request.
7 – Prepping the food ahead of time
One key to hosting any event is to prep as much food ahead of time as you can. Even if you think you can make it all the day of, don’t do it; there’s always more to do than you realize on the day that you are hosting!
Thankfully, many desserts can be prepped well in advance and either frozen unbaked (to bake fresh on the day of your event), or fully baked, ready to thaw to make a fabulous tea party at a moment’s notice. I recommend preparing all of the dessert items ahead of time, and (as is my favorite), baking them fresh on the morning of your event.
For a tea sandwich tray, you’ll want to prepare that on the morning of your event, cover it tightly, and keep it in the fridge.
Other items, such as fresh fruit and veggies, can be washed and chopped a day ahead, and trimmings (such as lemon curd, jam, or cream) should be prepared as far in advance as possible.
8 – The perfect cup of tea
Making the perfect cup of tea has one key element: heat. Tea will not steep properly unless it is made with boiling water, and if you want the best, smooth flavor, I recommend making it in a pot that has been warmed before the tea bags and water are added.
To do this, just splash some boiling water into your tea pot or thermos, and swish it around. Then discard the water, and pour some fresh boiling water in with your tea bags (or tea ball) to give your tea a nice warm environment to begin steeping.
Another great way to make your tea turn out great is to use a tea cozy. If you don’t have one, you can wrap your tea pot in a thick towel to keep the heat in. (A tea carafe or thermos will not need a cozy).
Tea bags
If you’re wanting to use tea bags, I recommend using 1 tea bag for every 3-4 cups (750ml-1000ml) of tea and steeping the tea for 8-10 minutes. For a large thermos of tea, I recommend steeping it for 10-15 minutes before serving.
My favorite black tea bags available for purchase are Barry’s Tea or Yorkshire Tea.
Loose leaf tea
When making loose leaf tea, you will need a tea ball for making a pot or large thermos of tea. I would recommend 1 tea ball for every 3-4 cups (750ml-1000ml) of tea, filled 1/2 way with tea leaves (since the loose leaf tea leaves will expand to fill the container once they are wet).
9 – Setting the table
Making sure your table is set well is a key element to hosting a beautiful tea party. You don’t need to break the bank to do this, but it is helpful to have some pretty things on hand to pull out for such occasions.
For large scale events, you can can certainly save money by purchasing plastic table clothes and paper plates; however, if you do opt for a cost-effective way to host, I recommend keeping it classy as much as you can!
Teatime essentials
Here is a list of teatime essentials to either have or consider having on hand for your tea table. When it comes to serving delicious food in a memorable way, making sure that the table makes a good impression is key to making this a great experience for your party guests.
- Tablecloth
- Fresh flowers or other centerpieces (such as a stack of your favorite books, a paper cake centerpiece like this one, or a tiered dessert stand)
- Tea pot and creamer set
- China tea cups and saucers
- Plates and silverware
- Favors, such as a small chocolate or gift for each guest on their plate (optional)
- Place cards (optional)
- Napkins
- Salt and pepper
- Butter plate
- China serving plates
- Tiered dessert stand (optional, for assorted light sandwiches and sweet treats)
- Cake pedestal (optional)
If you don’t have any pretty china, one of the best tips for acquiring it at a great price is to check out your local thrift stores. They often have so many beautiful pieces in perfect condition!
For tea party theme ideas, there are so many out there, I think I would need a whole separate post to cover it all! There are so many fun ideas, it’s hard to know where to start.
I’ll just note that if you’re hosting an event (such as Alice in Wonderland or Peter Rabbit), consider getting some themed invitations, and then set up some of the books to set up in the middle of the table.
Another simple idea would be to print some pictures from the story of your theme to frame in the center of the tables. These are easy ways to bring the theme the attention of your guests.
10 – Tea time recipes
After all has been said and done, the most important thing of all is that your guests enjoy their food. That said, I’m going to highly recommend you check out my ebook, “Make Time for Tea,” which is a tea time recipe book with 30+ recipes and 7 beautiful chapters!
I’ll also list some favorite recipes below for you to check out!
Classic tea party recipes:
- Light and Flaky English Scones
- Blueberry Lavender Scones
- Jam Thumbprint Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Poppyseed Tea Cookies
- Rhubarb Apple Pie
- Raspberry Sponge Cake
- Sour Cream Madeleines
- Peach Raspberry Jam
- Easy Dark Chocolate Truffles
Christmas tea party recipes:
- Lebkuchen (soft gingerbread)
- Easy Homemade Gingerbread
- Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Jam Thumbprint Shortbread Cookies
- Miniature Cherry Turnovers
- Cranberry Nut Roll
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Dairy-Free Cranberry Muffins
A Bonus Tutorial (for making lots of cookies for a party, efficiently):
Some final notes
If you want some specifics on dress code or whatever else, honestly, I say: that’s up to you. If you’re the host, you set the rules! You can also plan some fun games to make it more of a good time (especially for a bridal shower or baby shower), but again – that is another post for another day.
If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments! And of course, if you have some tea party pictures of your great time with friends and family to share with me, you can tag me on Instagram @naomicakesofficial to show off how gorgeous your party turned out. I can’t wait to see!
Bye for now,
Naomi
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