Spring comes with fresh positive energy. The sun shines brighter and the flowers are starting to bloom. After a cold winter, it is time to break out of the cocooning inside we have been doing.
Spring is when we can again sit in the sun for morning tea and dreamily think of the warm spring days ahead.
It is a great time to plan a Springtime Afternoon tea party with friends.
Set the scene with a Spring table
Invite the energy and playfulness of Spring to your morning tea with the burst of colorful nature that is all around us. Decorate the table with bunches of spring flowers – daffodils, tulips and branches of blossoms in pretty vases or jugs.
Use the inspiration of spring for your color palette. With pastel pinks, yellows, blues and greens.
Don’t be afraid to mix colors. Spring is all about a burst of fresh colors in the garden, and there is no reason why your table top cannot look the same.
Add fresh linen napkins held together by pretty napkin rings.
Bring in some more elements of spring with pretty table decorations and candles. Adding whimsical touches to the table add to the surprise of a Spring afternoon tea.
Fill the board with cured meats such as salami, pate, and ham all sliced and ready to eat. Add crackers and bread, and multiple varieties of cheeses – cheddar, parmesan, brie, camembert and gorgonzola or English blue. Include a few bowls of pickles, jams, relishes and preserves. And finally add some walnuts, pistachios, pecans and salted almonds.
A small top hat is a perfect hat for a Mad Hatter Tea Party. Held on with an elastic band, you can enjoy the party without your hat getting in the way.
We love the range of fascinators you can choose from for this theme party. This one caught our eye immediately with the rose, lace and feathers. It is mad enough for a mad hatter.
A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is the perfect excuse to go for extra everything. That is why we loved this extra-large feather fascinator. It comes in many colors, so pick the one that suits your outfit best.
We loved finding you the best Mad Hatter Tea Party Hats, and wish you all the best for your event. Don’t forget to check out our other suggestions for great High Tea Events.
Mommy and Me dresses are the perfect way to make a statement with your daughter in matching dresses or complementary outfits. We have gathered some of the best mommy and me dresses and combinations for a tea party, or wedding party. Mommy and Me dresses are a fantastic way to make your cutie feel part of the special day, looking just as beautiful as her mommy.
Matching Mommy and Me Swing Dresses
These fabulous tea party dresses are perfect for sharing a special day together in a flattering and fun fit and flare style for mom and daughter.
Mommy and Me Vintage Garden Tea Party Dress
We love the vintage style fabric on these classic tea party swing dresses. You can also choose to add a large tulle petticoat under the skirt to add an extra swing to the dress.
It is not essential to have identical dresses to make a wonderful mommy and me outfit, as these two complimenting polka dot dresses prove. They are such fun to wear and make a fabulous look when together.
Yellow and white polka dot dresses are so fun and sunny for a garden tea party or outdoor wedding. We love how much fun you are going to have together while adding bright cheerful colors to the day.
What we love most about this combination is the classic look of both dresses. We love the flattering fit of mommy’s dress with the tiny bow on the side. And, we love how the little girls’ dress is comfortable and easy to wear. Both look fabulous and put together in this combination.
Blooming Together in these gorgeous matching sunflower dresses
Bright cheerful sunflowers on classic swing style tea party dresses make this combination a winner for both. The fabric is fun and the style easy to wear and flattering for all.
The fun girl’s dress with large bold cherries is so sweet and adorable for a party. While mom can look her best in this flattering halter-neck wide swing dress with the complimentary cherry pattern.
We love the style of these two dresses together. The girl’s classic button dress with a belt is smart and fun. and compliments mom’s more grown-up version with wrap style dress. Pretty together and fun to wear.
No party dress is complete without accessories. We found the sweetest matching mommy and me teacup necklaces. These would also make a wonderfully special gift for mom and daughter on an important day.
Mommy and Me outfits can be put together by finding common elements between the two dresses, without being identical. In this pair, we matched the color blue and echoed the polka dots of the little girl’s dress in large embossed dots on mom’s dress. And finally, the design of the sleeve is the same on both.
In this combination we again found common elements to link these two dresses in as a unique pair. The classic pencil dress with collar and transparent sleeves is flattering and stylish for a fantastic look. While the young girl’s dress also has similar sleeves and a classic collar, but with a younger style flared skirt with overlay.
These two gorgeous dresses echo each other with the transparent sleeves and embroidered details. The ruffled sleeves also connect these classic dresses for the perfect mommy and me combo.
The pretty red embroidered dress is super sweet alongside mommy’s classic black version. These dresses are made for dancing and enjoying the day together in.
These pretty midnight blue sparkle dresses will delight everyone. The little girl’s dress is fun with large stars and tulle, while mommy’s dress sparkles like a galaxy of stars.
Bring the princess in both with this classic combination of princess style dresses. The pretty pink and gold will ensure both shine in their own way, while looking amazing together.
This beautiful combination of a pretty little tutu dress for your little one, and an elegant long mermaid style dress for you. Elegance meets sweetness is the most delightful way!
This pretty combination has the perfect fitting dress for your daughter and you. Show off your curves, while letting her also shine in a sweet sequined dress.
It is that time of year to start thinking of gifts for those we love. We have found the best books of the season for our friends and family members who also love Afternoon tea or high tea. These books are perfect for inspiring new baking, sharing ideas for tea party events and showing someone you are thinking of them.
The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Teacaptures the essence of this traditional British occasion and provides the reader with all the Ritz expertise in the ceremony as well as over 50 recipes, illustrated with passages from Dickens to Oscar Wilde and charming drawings.
Afternoon tea is a revered and treasured English tradition—and no one knows better how to prepare and enjoy a proper tea than the residents of Downton Abbey. With this alluring and vibrant cookbook, fans of the PBS series and anglophiles alike can stage every stylish element of this cultural staple of British society at home.
With more than 70 delectable recipes for scones, savories, and sweets, this book will inspire anyone who is planning a Christmastime celebration. Included are unique Tea pairings, along with a tea-steeping guide.
The editors of Victoria magazine invite your to savor the pleasures and possibilities of the cherished ritual of tea shared by people the world over in this beautiful gift book.
The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook presents over 100 recipes that showcase the cookery and customs of the Crawley household—from upstairs dinner party centrepieces to downstairs puddings and pies—and brings an authentic slice of Downton Abbey to modern kitchens and Downton fans.
Highclere Castle, known as “the real Downton Abbey,” bustles with activity all year round, but it is never more alive than at Christmas. This book is a look behind the scenes at the routines and rituals that make the castle the most magical place to be throughout the festive season.
This elegant coffee table cookbook highlights the luxe and elegance of the Christmas at Downton Abbey and features a collection of traditional British holiday recipes, from appetizers to desserts, that were popular during the Edwardian period.
A joyous celebration of Fortnum & Mason’s love for extraordinary seasonal food, Christmas and Other Winter Feasts is filled with flavoursome recipes for Christmas and New Year’s Eve
Find out how to plan the perfect vintage tea party with advice on invitations, decorations, table settings, food and drinks. Plan a vintage English High Tea Party or a Romantic French Tea Party that your friends will be talking about for years.
Includes complete style guides for 10 Uniquely Styled Events:
English High Tea Party
Romantic French High Tea Party
Shabby Chic Style Tea Party
Cream Tea Party
Retro Luncheon Tea
Garden Tea Party
Bollywood High Chai Party
Happily Ever After – Cinderella Tea Party
1920 Prohibition Tea Party
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Includes:
Ten Vintage Tea Party Style Guides – inspiration and suggestions for invitations, table settings, and decorations.
+ fabulous sandwich ideas for the perfect afternoon tea.
It is tea party season and we have found the best tea party hats for all the Weddings, christenings, engagements, anniversaries and many more events that can be celebrated with a fantastic tea party.
The biggest problem is what to wear! We decided to find the best Tea Party Hats for every style.
Simple Fascinators
These suit those of us who want to look glam without the fuss of a big hat. We found some chic fascinators that will look the part at any tea party.
We love this large black and white Classic Butterfly Fascinator for a fun take on the simple black fascinator. Wear it tilted to the front of your head for the best effect.
This Fascinator Hat with Feathers in pink is perfect for a sleek romantic style. It fits easily over any hairstyle with a headband. It looks great with a simple tea party dress.
Be a vintage rose with this classic Vintage Flower Fascinator in Nude Pink. It attaches easily to any hairstyle. You can pull the net over one eye to add to the drama. Gorgeous!
Large, wide-brimmed, floaty garden party hats are great for keeping you out of the sun and looking fabulous at the same time! If you are attending a romantic garden tea party these are perfect!
This Organza Wide Brim Summer Hat is the perfect floaty romantic hat for a garden tea part. Wear it with a classic slim-fitting dress to make a dramatic impact.
This Derby Hat comes in a variety of colors and is perfect in matching or contrasting color to your dress. This champagne color also looks great with a simple black dress.
We could not go past this fabulous blue and white hat! Awesome modern take on a derby hat. The linen look is lovely and fresh for summer and looks fab paired with a string of pearls.
The rainbow chiffon cascading off the side of this Colorful Organza Wide Brim Tea Party Hat makes this a stunning hat for any occasion. The floaty feel of this makes it a fun hat to wear to a less formal wedding or garden tea party.
You cannot go wrong with this classic looking Hat with Flowers and Feathers in White/Black. We love the floating flowers and wide brim of this hat and think it looks perfect with an off-the-shoulder dress.
Classic pillbox hats never go out of fashion. They are made to sit jauntily on the side of your head. Here are some of our favorite tea party hats for a classic tea party event.
This Feather Fascinator pillbox Hat is elegant enough for a royal wedding. Wear it jauntily to one side with the front pulled forward towards your eyebrow for a dramatic look.
This classic shade of green always makes a statement, this Fascinator Hat is the perfect mix of class and style in Pistachio green. Wear this one with a classic dress and pearls or mix it up by wearing it with a floaty summer dress.
This Party Pillbox Hat with Veil is another classic postwar-style pillbox hat to be worn on the side of the head. We love the larger net that can be pulled down over your face for extra drama. This hat comes in many color options, so you can find one to match your dress.
This Retro 60’s Black White Houndstooth Hat is a classic pillbox hat with feather and black and white check. It is super chic and looks incredible with a long wide-legged pantsuit in black or white.
Some styles just ooze elegance and these hats do it for us. From classic Audrey Hepburn styles to My Fair Lady-inspired hats these are our pick of the best.
The shape, fabric, and trim on this Fabric Feather Hat make it a classic and elegant choice for a formal occasion. We love to see this one paired with an off-the-shoulder tea-length dress.
We also found the perfect little accessory for a tea party in this gorgeous tea party pendant necklace. This sweet necklace makes a lovely statement and we think it is also a great gift for the hostess of the tea party!
We love this classic pink Tea Party Derby Hat. It is the perfect combination of classic and romantic. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns for any occasion you need a hat!
This is a beautiful understated Felt Hat that is sweet and elegant. The felt makes it perfect for cooler weather or evening events. A unique hat for a very special event.
Felt hats fit any formal occasion and are great for evening tea parties. This classic French 1930s-style Felt Cocktail Hat in classic gray is perfect for an elegant tea party.
If you want to bring some European elegance to the tea party this French-style Felt Fedora Pillbox Hat might be just the thing. The curved shape fits gently on the side of your head with the point just in front of your ear, framing your face. We think it looks best with a smart coat dress or pantsuit.
What to wear when hats are not really your thing or you want to wear something a little different? Don’t worry we have found the best headpieces that fit any style.
If hats are not your thing, try a glamour headpiece like this 1920s-inspired Flapper Headband with Rhinestones. You can wear this with a 1920s-style flapper dress or a pretty summer maxi dress for a summer wedding.
Want to make a statement and really stand out? Then we have found the best hats for that too!!! Statement hats are perfect for afternoon tea or a day in the sun. They look great with elegant outfits, day suits, or simple tea-length dresses.
Ruffles, feathers, pink organza, and black trim, when it comes to tea party hats, this one is gorgeous. Wide Brim Fashion Derby Hat in pink and black – it also comes in a range of other great color options.
We love the combination of ruffles and pizzaz with this hat. It’s a little bit fabulous and a lot bit cool. This Organza Ruffles Wide Brim Hat in Pink is bold, dramatic and guaranteed to turn heads!
Make a statement with this large redhat Designer Fashion Wide Brim Hat. We love the size course the amazing layered brim. Wear it with a modern pantsuit or simple tea party dress to ensure all of the attention is on this amazing hat!
This Cream and Black Tea Party Hat is stunning! Wear it tilted to one side with the brim pulled low over your eyes to turn up the drama! Gorgeous for stunning photos and standing out in a crowd!
A Vintage Christmas Tea Party is the perfect way to invite friends and family together for a unique Christmas event. A vintage afternoon tea party with all the trimmings is the perfect way to get everyone in the holiday mood.
You can go all out with this cozy Christmas theme and guests will be enchanted by the selection of festive food, drinks and decorations. This theme is also ideal for a Christmas-time wedding or bridal shower.
Invitations
Vintage Tea party invitations that invite guests to a cozy, nostalgic festive tea party. We love these romantic lace and ribbon invitations that come in a wide range of colors.
Keep the festive theme with your table settings. We love to stay traditional with classic teacups and side plates like these ones from the Royal Albert Collection.
Mismatched teacups and saucers add a classic vintage tea party vibe to this Christmas event. You can try to stay with classic red, green and gold colors or go for all the colors in the rainbow.
For a Christmas tea party, the decorations on the table are more important than ever. Keep them traditional and classic to stay with the vintage Christmas theme.
This fun gingerbread tree is a cute way to bring a cozy vintage warmth to the table.
Silver Decorations on the table look great when paired with fresh flowers, candles and fairy lights. Your guests will feel like they have arrived at a winter wonderland.
No party is complete without the perfect soundtrack. Let the Brat Pack of Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. help you out with their classic Christmas sounds.
We love these classic Audrey Hepburn inspired vintage dresses. Paired with a pair of kitten heels and a glam up-do these style dresses help you really take the role of vintage hostess.
We love to offer beautiful smelling teas at a tea party. One of our favorites is the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea – a black tea with an aroma of orange and sweet cloves.
If it is cold outside, why not help your guests warm up with a beautiful hot chocolate bar. Let guests make their own luxury hot chocolate with all the trappings.
Tea for two is a fantastic way to enjoy afternoon tea with a great friend. Just because the event is small, doesn’t mean it needs to be any less special. You can easily create a special afternoon tea party in your home with only one guest.
Invite your best friend, your mother or daughter to a tea party for two and enjoy an afternoon of tea and treats without leaving your house.
Set the table in a gorgeous vintage tea party style. Bring out your best vintage style teacups, saucers and plates. Add lovely teapots, a sugar bowl, milk jug and teaspoons. Serve afternoon treats on pretty tiered serving plates.
We love this Royal Albert Country Roses Tea set in pink and white polka dots for a sweet afternoon tea party for two.
You don’t have to have matching chinaware. These perfectly mismatched teacups, saucers and plates are a great example of how to coordinate vintage style chinaware. These mismatched sets come already coordinated and mismatched to perfection.
Perfectly Mismatched Tea cup, saucer and side plate
When you are hosting a smaller tea party, it is the small details that make the event special. We love these Royal Albert porcelain teaspoons that beautifully compliment the mismatched sets.
For a special addition to the traditional tea serving, you can opt to use individual tea strainers in each cup. This one has a beautiful Rose quartz crystal attached.
Choosing the perfect tea to serve is important. Our pick is the Royal Palace Tea, a black tea with a hint of lemon and grapefruit – perfect for treating someone special.
A tea party for two does not require a lot of food, but it is nice to have a variety of options like a high tea. Some sweet things and some savoury. We find it hard to go past macaroons as one sweet option!
This fabulous Black tea is combined with orange peel, three types of cinnamon and cloves. Perfect for a warm cozy tea to serve as the weather cools. And we should mention it smells divine!
Colorful and full of crisp, fruity flavors, this new indigo punch tea combines the delicate tang of rosehips and apple pieces with the earthy tones of a gorgeous Butterfly pea flower. Caffeine Free.
Bright lemongrass, lemon peel, and vivid raspberry round out the palate of this beautiful brew, along with natural honey flavor for a touch of sweetness. It is also perfect as an iced tea!
This brew by Fortnum&Mason was created in response to a request from the Royal Palace for a smokier Earl Grey Tea. This unique blend combines traditional bergamot with a touch of Lapsang and Gunpowder tea. For years it was the only Earl Grey available at Fortnum’s and remains popular for very good reason. We love this to add a whole lot of class to a high tea event! Serve black or with a little milk, or with a slice of orange or lemon.
In this speciality tea, rose petals are interleaved with the tea as it dries, and a few are left in for decoration, ensuring that the visual appeal matches the flavour. Serve in the afternoon to make the most of its fragrant and delicate taste.
Christmas in a cup, this sweet and light Chinese green tea has been flavoured with spices including cinnamon, cloves, orange and ginger, to create a smooth and spicy Christmas blend.
The beverage called London Fog originated during the Victorian era. Traditionally, it is an Earl Grey served with steamed milk. Ingredients: Black tea, oolong tea, bergamot oil, lavender, vanilla flavor.
This fabulous set includes four of our favorite teas for any event:
HOT CINNAMON SPICE – Hot Cinnamon Spice is an assertive blend of caffeinated black teas, three types of cinnamon, orange peel, and sweet cloves. Tin of 20 Tea Sachets
ENGLISH BREAKFAST – English Breakfast contains full leaf black teas from Ceylon and Kenya. Tin of 20 Tea Sachets
PARIS – Paris is a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel flavors, and a hint of lemony Bergamot. Tin of 20 Tea Sachets
EARL GREY SUPREME – For the Earl Grey connoisseur, this blend uses a higher grade of tea with the addition of Silver Tips. Tin of 20 Tea Sachets
