DIY Victorian Afternoon Tea Reception for a Bride

A bride and her closest friends can revisit the days of pretend tea parties with a grownup tea in celebration of her wedding.

There are many ways to celebrate impending nuptials for a bride-to-be. A bride and her friends can enjoy the cozy, intimate atmosphere of a Victorian tea party and feel as though they've been transported into a Jane Austen novel. A tea reception is an elegant and memorable way for a bride to say goodbye to the single life with her closest friends and family around her.

Things You'll Need

• Printed invitations
• RSVP cards
• Fine china or silver
• Decorations
• Fresh flowers
• Assorted tea bags
• Assorted desserts
• Hors d'oeuvres
• Tables
• Chairs
• Classical music CD
• CD player

Instructions

1. 

   Elegant table settings can be borrowed or rented.

   Determine where the tea reception will take place. You may elect to rent a professional space or hold it in someone's home. If weather permits, you can host an outdoor tea reception in a backyard garden or patio.

2. 

   Victorian tea reception guests can dress the part with chic clothing and white gloves.

   Design Victorian-style invitations and mail them to guests a couple of weeks prior to the tea reception. Depending on budget, you can have the invitations professionally printed and embossed or you can design and print them yourself on a personal computer. Either way, use a swirly script font reminiscent of Victorian-era writing. If guests need additional instruction, such as to come dressed in semi-formal attire, include that direction on the invitations.

3. 

   Elegant desserts and pastries are the crowning glory of a bridal tea party.

   Include an RSVP card with each invitation, if desired. The card can be designed like a postcard, with the mailing address already printed on it, and should include the names of each invitee and a space for guests to indicate whether or not they will be attending the tea reception.

4. 

   If weather permits, a garden tea party can be a charming surprise for a bride-to-be.

   Plan the menu for the tea reception. Aside from the tea itself, a tea party traditionally includes finger sandwiches, a variety of desserts and at least one cold beverage, such as lemonade, for guests who don't want tea. Include tea accompaniments like sugar cubes, artificial sweetener, milk and lemon wedges. Plan to set up the refreshments buffet-style on a table separate from where guests will be sitting.

5. 

   The china you use for the bride's tea reception doesn't necessarily need to match; you can go for an eclectic look.

   Acquire a tea service and dishes for the reception. Fine china or silver is the norm, especially for a formal tea. If you don't have your own, borrow from friends or rent. If you're borrowing tea dishes, remember the dishes, cups and saucers don't necessarily need to match -- eclectic is a style of its own, and mix-and-match china can look very nice. Gather linen or lace tablecloths, cloth napkins, doilies, table runners, centerpieces and anything else you wish to decorate with. Fresh flowers and potted plants make ideal adornments. You can also create place cards for each guest.

6. Set up for the tea reception on the day of the event. You can arrange a number of round tables near each other or have all the guests at one long table. Set the tables, decorate and arrange the food and tea on a buffet table. Play a CD of classical or instrumental music in the background to set the scene as guests arrive.

Tips & Warnings

• Traditionally, tea parties are intimate affairs -- that's part of their charm. Different from a bridal shower, where anyone and everyone the bride ever knew may be invited, tea parties should include only the bride's closest and dearest friends and loved ones. The smaller the guest list, the more intimate and personal the affair will be for the bride and her guests. Save the all-inclusive guest list for the bridal shower.

• If you're planning an outdoor tea reception, have a backup location available in case the weather turns bad on the day of the event. Note on the invitations where the alternate location will be in the event of rain or blustery weather.

References

• Favor Ideas: Hosting a Victorian Tea Bridal Shower
• Unique Bridal Shower Ideas: The Beauty of a Bridal Shower Tea Party