Hosting the Perfect Afternoon Tea, All You Need to Know

What does it take to create the perfect afternoon tea. Lets break it down and take a look at what will make you the perfect host.

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So what things should you consider when wanting to host an afternoon tea?

So lets take a look at each one in more detail. What do we need to ask ourselves before hosting an afternoon tea?

An Afternoon Tea Menu

This will probably be one of the more important parts to an afternoon tea. It will take the most work if you plan to make it all yourself.

Firstly I would recommend sitting down and writing out a menu. Choose items that you find easy to make or can easily source.

Look at which items can be made ahead of time. For example you can freeze brownies so they can be made at least a week or more in advance. Sponge cakes also freeze well also, they can be frozen then iced on the day.

Keep it simple. Try to choose recipes that are not too complicated, especially recipes that take a lot of time to make.

Enlist the help of a friend or two if you can, especially on the day of the afternoon tea. The sandwiches tend to take time to put together and will eat away at your day.

Menu Ideas For an Afternoon Tea

Invitations

Email invitations are becoming a lot more popular these days. They are cheap and very easy to send out once you have everyone’s email addresses.

Paper invitation can be a little more personal and I have found they can add a special touch to your event. Today we all love to receive a handwritten note in any form.

You can also make it even more special by handmaking your invitations. This will require more time and also cost you more, but if you are crafty and enjoy making things like this then I would say go for it. Go the extra mile.

Seating and tables

An afternoon tea does not need to be a formal sit down affair, if you don’t have enough room to do it this way. It can be served buffet style with your guests sitting where they like. It can be nice doing it this way, making it casual and a little more relaxed.

If you want to do a more formal afternoon tea and seat your guests around the table then you will need to consider a few things.

If you do not want to rent any chairs or tables then you may need to keep in mind the number of guests you invite.

For tables you can always use foldable tables, they will be covered in tablecloths anyway, so don’t worry about how they look. If you are using plastic tables then I would recommend finding padded protectors they will really elevate the feeling. Find them here.

Where to host the Afternoon tea

This will depend on what you have available to you, weather and size of party.

If it is warm out and you have the space then hosting an afternoon tea outside surrounded by nature can be beautiful and fun.

Spaces can be rearranged to fit your needs so if couches or furniture needs moved then be adaptable. Yes it can mean more work for you but can be definitely worth the effort.

Dishware and Cutlery

I am guessing that if you have chosen to host an afternoon tea then you have access to some China cups and saucers. If you don’t then thrifting will become your new friend. Although because of increased popularity in tea parties it can get expensive.

Ask around if you don’t have any China why not ask around and see if someone you know has some. There is a high likely hood that someone does.

Don’t forget the teapots, try to have more than one. It is nice to have multiple tea choices, you could even dedicate a pot to just hot water.

You can make your own tiered cake stands from China plates. I made my own and they were very simple to make as long as you have a drill, a diamond drill bit and some painters tape. You will also need a tiered stand hardware set like these ones here.

Use care and go slow when drilling into the plates as they can crack. Check out this how-to video.

All of these things can also be rented too if you are finding it difficult to source some of these items.

Decor ideas

You can really decorate as much or little as you like for an afternoon tea. The tea sets them selves and the serving dishes can add so much beautiful detail that very little extras may be needed.

You can’t go wrong with flowers, they can add so much beauty to any table. The wonderful thing with flowers is that there’s so much variety in colour, size and texture. And don’t forget the wonderful aroma you get from flowers.

Paper decorations can also add a lovely detail there are so many to choose from depending on your own set up. I love the paper pom poms and fans, they are worth checking out.

Candles should be used with caution obviously but if you are worried there are some great fake ones now. That could be a great option, and these can be reused after the event too.

Recipe Ideas

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