Are you planning a bridal shower but want to make it a bit different than the usual shower? Consider incorporating an afternoon tea theme into your plans. The event doesn't need to be a serious high tea with straight faces all around. Make it fun for the bride and the guests by going all out and helping everyone to get involved.
If you want your guests to arrive prepared, make sure their invitation states that they are invited for an afternoon tea party. Hint that they bring items to help lighten the mood, such as fancy gloves, hankies or hats that they can use all through the shower. Getting the guests involved before the shower means fewer surprises during the shower and gives them a heads up as to what they can expect. There will often be some guests who won't feel comfortable participating, so don't let them get you down.
It's also a thoughtful idea to have some extra costume pieces for guests who don't have anything at home that they can bring.
The best way to get the atmosphere of an afternoon tea is to serve tea in fancy tea pots. Borrow these from friends and family if you don't have them yourself. Just be careful with them to make sure they don't break. You'll also need fancy tea cups and saucers and entice everyone to drink with their pinkie fingers in the air! Make it light-hearted and turn it into a shower game!
You can also use tea pots as vases and fill them with fresh flowers. These would make wonderful centerpieces, sitting on a handkerchief or embroidered cloth.
Along with the tea, serve small sandwiches filled with cream cheese and cucumber slices. Scones with homemade preserves and thick cream are also suitable for this theme. Small cookies and squares will introduce some variation to your party menu.
An afternoon tea bridal shower isn't complete without, of course, the tea. But don't feel constrained to only this beverage. You can serve iced tea, coffee, or punch as well, but keep in the spirit by serving all of the drinks in tea cups.
If you have lots of room, set up small tables with four or five chairs at each table for the atmosphere of smaller parties going on at the same time. If tea is the main beverage, you can set up one pot per table and let your guests help themselves.
Keep the bride involved in the theme by providing some tea party garments for her. She may applaud the theme since it will take some of the attention and pressure off of her as the guests get caught up in their tea party. Having a theme also helps to keep the festivities going without those awkward silences that sometimes happen because it gives people who don't have a lot in common something to talk about.
The most critical thing to remember is to have fun. Get buy-in on the theme from the people helping you with the shower because you and your friends will be the role models for the day. Your enthusiasm will be passed on to your guests and that's what will really make the event special.
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