Invitations

I think that a tea party deserves something a bit more formal than my usual evite invitation.  Due to the time involved searching for just the right accessories, I’ll have the forethought covered, and because of the smaller gathering, I’ll have the cost covered as well.  Mailed invitations it is!  While the following invitation doesn’t scream refinement, I had to include some of my kitchness into the event.  These teapot invitations from Plum Party are fun and are the perfect price at $16.00 for a box of 10.

Menu and Serving

This is where the fun part comes in, the prepping and presentation of the food and drink.  At Amelia’s Teas and Holly we were served our own teapots of their loose tea in dainty tea cups, some atop saucers, and some atop of a snack set plate.  These vintage snack sets are practical and quaint and are perfect for dainty treats.  If you aren’t familiar with how to properly prepare loose tea, you can always go the route of the traditional teabag.  The tea from  Tea Forte not only has a great taste, but a different look.  If the snack sets are too traditional for you, Tea Forts also provides various contemporary tea service sets.  Their Dolce Vita collection provides an updated service for your tea party that still demands a sense of decorum.

Our meals were served on vintage 3-tiered desert stands; each tier filled with mini crusttless sandwiches, scones, quiche, pettifours and truffles.  You can switch out the mini crust-less sandwiches for other savory bites such as Pasta Frittatas or Mini Crab and Lime Quiches.  Swap out the pettifours for Goat Cheese and Apple Tarts or Peach and Almond Strudels.  No need to switch out the truffles, there is no substitution for chocolate.  All of the recipes can be found in one of my favorite appetizer cookbooks, The Essential Appetizers Cookbook.

Accessories

Lace tablecloths, linen napkins, and fresh flowers is all that is necessary.  However, for something fun and slightly less formal, try these low key cocktail napkins from Plum Party and this tea cosy from Eden & Eden to add some lightness to the formalness of it all.

Just like  fondue, a successful tea party depends on a good mix of conversation that will sustain several pots of tea.

Invitations

If you’ve been reading, you know what I used as my regular invitation standby, evite.  As I have said so many times, “One of these days I’ll get my act together.”    Had I had the time, money, and forethought, I would have gotten something along the lines of Lollipop Love by tiny*prints.  They are informal enough for a fete with friends, convey the theme of the night perfectly and don’t have to be reserved for Valentine’s Day.  For something a little less pink and red and a bit more DIY, check out this Print-and-Mail Dessert invitation template from Real Simple.

Menu and Serving

This was another potluck shinding, everyone brought their favorite dessert and we gorged ourselves on sweet treats all night long.  While I like to cook from scratch rather than bake from scratch, I can do some damage to box mixes.   I provided 2 options for the night; brownies and gingerbread.  The Ghirardelli Brownie Mix, Ultimate Fudge was a hit and looked delicious in the heart shaped tin.  The gingerbread was courtesy of Trader Joe’s.  Their Trader Joe’s Deep, Dark Gingerbread Cake & Baking Mix went well with their lemon curd.  The spicy and the sweet went surprisingly well together and looked amazing in the matching heart shaped tin.  If I didn’t wait till the last minute to prepare for my parties I might prepare a couple (or all) of the desserts from Paula Deen’s “The Lady & Sons: Savannah Country Cookbook“.  If I had to pick just two they might be my favorite cookies, Snickerdoodles (pg. 144), and the Gooey Butter Cakes (pg. 125), who can resist gooey butter??

Decorations and Accessories

The decorations were limited, focused on the dining room table, and were pink and red.  The center piece consisted of some festive pink mums and the food and drink filled the table from end to end.  Chocolate candies, red wine, pink wine, sparkling cider, and those great wine tumblers I talk about here.  Seasonal heart paper plates (yes, paper plates.  I’ll get to the cool plates soon enough.) and matching napkins rounded out the decorations.  Simple homemade red and pink construction paper chains can be fun decorations as well, and can get the kids to decorate all on their own.  Additional decorations and accessories can also provide mood lighting.  A candle-scape can be romantic, but for something that can provide the same effect with less flame, try these Green Organza Gems from PartyLights.com.

Be it for Valentines Day or for friends to get together to share sweet secrets, just skip the main course and go straight for the sweet course.