Tea parties are the epitome of class and fanciness. As a delightful and classy person myself, I greatly enjoy the act of sipping tea and nibbling on delectable tea sandwiches. I’ve had the pleasure of hosting numerous parties, most recently being my “Sweet SixTEAnth Birthday ParTEA.” Many elements contribute to the perfect tea party experience, including the quality of the tea set, the tasteful nature of snacks, delectable teas, and elegant attire.

Tea Set

The journey to find my magnificent tea set was a stressful one, although the result was gratifying. I went on the search with my mother, a fan of tea herself. The first store that we set our eyes upon was terrifyingly expensive, though the variety of sets was impressive. Dejected, we exited the store with little to show for our adventure. As I slumped through the parking lot, ready to give up my tea dreams, another thrift store caught my eye, my savior: Treasure Mart. I sprinted into the store and gawked at the gorgeous trinkets and fabulous art pieces. It was in the back of the store that I stumbled upon the set of my dreams. Delicate, gorgeous, and pristine the tea set resembled the one that I had been dreaming of. Even more importantly, it was only $35.

Food

One of the most stressful aspects of a tea party is selecting the nibbles to serve. After planning multiple parties, I found that already-prepared refreshments are ideal for a stress-free gathering. The Costco macarons, scone mix from World Market, and Pepperidge Farm cookies are truly lifesavers. In addition, there are many guides for tea sandwiches and savory appetizers online. If you are feeling extra fancy, it is fun to visit a local bakery and pick up mini cakes and other treats to serve alongside your ready-made treats.

Tea

I am a very big fan of the brand Tea Forte as well as the store Zen Tea in Chamblee. If you are interested in purchasing from Tea Forte, I recommend the White Ginger Pear, Blueberry Merlot, Chamomile Citron, African Solstice, and Belgium Mint. Beware that the Winter Chai is absolutely terrible. In addition, I love the Chocolate Chai and Milk Oolong from Zen Tea.

Attire

The most exciting part of a tea party is dressing up in your favorite dresses and wearing adorable fascinators. It is important to make sure that all of your tea party guests dress in a fun way as opposed to jeans and sweatshirts. To ensure that everyone attending my parties dressed cutely, I found a collection of little fascinators to give out as party favors from Amazon and distributed them according to the various color schemes of the outfits they showed up in. I also made sure to create a dress code, asking that everyone wear something that made them feel fancy. 

I hope that you now feel called to have your first tea party. They are an incredible way to get together with friends and express your inner old lady.