Vintage Tea Party - How to Organize It?

Image the scene. There's a table set for tea with white linen, flowers, fine bone china, silver cutlery and, obviously, a mouth-watering array of dainty sandwiches and cakes. Elegant and timeless, a tea party is as ideal a technique to entertain today as is was in centuries past. Having said that, modern vintage style tea parties are a lot much less formal and considerably much more enjoyable than their period counterparts.

It's vintage style, not set in aspic
While the existing interest in all things vintage has no doubt been fuelled by costume dramas which include Downton Abbey and Fantastic Expectations, you won't get complaints if your vintage tea party mixes Edwardian cutlery with Victorian china, or introduces non-authentic vintage-style accessories. A vintage tea occasion ought to evoke the style of a bygone age, instead of slavishly wanting to recreate its each detail. Bloater paste sandwiches and seed cake have produced way for canapes and cup cakes within the brave new globe in the vintage tea party.

Tea for two, or two hundred
Whether you are organising a celebration a deux to get a wedding anniversary, a christening party for a dozen or so loved ones and close friends, or perhaps a charity event for hundreds, a vintage tea party is just the ticket. The tea party against which all other individuals are generally judged is definitely the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, when 8,000 guests consume 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake. But your event should be organised to reflect the formality on the occasion, your style along with the age and interests of the guests. If you're inviting households with youngsters, then outdoor games including croquet or skittles will maintain every person amused all through the party, whereas a corporate occasion could possibly call to get a formal tea using a classical string quartet playing inside the background. To add a bit of sparkle towards the occasion, why not dispense with tea and serve cocktails rather. What may be additional decadent than drinking champagne cocktails from fine bone china cups?

DIY vintage events
If you've a inventive streak and oodles of time, styling your personal vintage tea party is usually wonderful fun. Beg, borrow or steal vintage china and cutlery from your pals, or acquire them from antique shops or auctions. Augment your trophies with vintage style accessories, including bunting, tea light holders and flower containers. For finest effect, try to theme your event by colour, pattern or period. This will make sure the styling of your occasion is coherent and delivers the expected 'wow' element for the guests. But, if you are worried that your personal styling efforts could possibly appear like the remnants of a white elephant stall, it's time to call on the services of a specialist vintage stylist.

Vintage styling specialists
An increasing number of corporations are supplying not just vintage china employ, but total styling and catering services for vintage tea events. The most effective providers own massive stocks of vintage china and accessories, enabling them to match any theme you choose for any number of guests. It could possibly be a pink theme to get a charity occasion, botanical to get a product launch or Edwardian for a Suffragette centenary tea party. Obtain the proper vintage specialist and they'll organise each and every aspect of your tea occasion, from the styling along with the catering for the flowers and table settings. The only thing you will really need to do is choose a venue, invite your guests as well as your vintage tea party will seem as if by magic just before your eyes.