Delicious nibbles, fabulous tea, and great company…Who doesn’t love a good afternoon tea? I’m not going to lie, I do love to treat myself to some afternoon tea in a lovely tea room for special occasions but do you know what’s better than going out for afternoon tea? Hosting your own garden tea party in the comfort of your own house with your closest friends and family.
Personally, as I love to cook and have friends over, it’s a win-win hosting my own. We love to set up a games night with our friends, and adding fun and laughter to the night is well-needed. You’ve got to have a winning prize for your games, and adding items that could be used as game-winning favors and treats for the kids is a great way of adding fun to your games night and rewarding the winners. I think we would all love to win a diamond ring, so how about a winning Ring Pop to present to the winner instead, much cheaper!
Whether you have never hosted a tea party before and need a helping hand or throw afternoon tea parties every so often but are looking for some ideas, I’m here to help. Today, with the help of Elements Home & Garden UK garden furniture, we have put together some ideas on how to host the perfect garden tea party!
Have Comfortable Seating
Is your outdoor furniture old, rusty and uncomfortable? Maybe it’s time for an upgrade. As Sims Life says, “One thing that we’ve all learned this year from being stuck at home for months is that having comfortable furniture is essential. Both inside our homes and outside.” Comfortable garden furniture ensures you make the most out of your outdoor space. The team at Elements Home & Garden can’t recommend having good quality furniture – it will encourage you to spend more time outside and make any time you spend outside more enjoyable. If you can’t buy new pieces, you can choose furniture hire in London for your garden parties. This way, you can still have comfortable seating without buying it permanently.
Think About The Menu
Don’t whip up something last minute. I mean, you could but don’t. It will be stressful and the last thing you need is to start your afternoon tea party feeling stressed. Plan ahead and save yourself a headache.
What to serve at your afternoon tea? As Luxirare comments in a recent blog post, “even though a pot of brewed tea with milk is the must-have for any afternoon tea, the choices of food can vary.” Of course, you should have a few tea selections available – from standard breakfast tea which most people love to more exciting flavours, such as jasmine tea or rooibos tea.
In terms of food, go for savoury and sweet treats. This includes finger sandwiches, scones, and a selection of desserts. Destination Tea recommends rose meringues, mini layered carrot cakes, pink rhubarb shortcakes, jasmine madeleines, and mini fruit tarts as delicious desserts to serve at your garden tea party.
Be Ready For The Worst
Whether your oven stops working while you’re cooking your afternoon tea food or the skies start pouring as you’re sitting down to enjoy your tea party, always be ready for the worst-case scenario. For the first nightmare scenario, maybe have some store-bought goodies in your cupboards (just in case!) or ask your guests to bring some food.
In case the weather quickly changes whilst you are enjoying your time outside, it’s important to have a plan B. As Sparkles and Stretchmarks mentions, “We know we can’t trust English weather but we still do it.” Don’t trust the weather and instead, make sure to have protection from the elements ready. The team at Elements recommends a pop-up gazebo – these are stylish shade systems that can be quickly assembled and disassembled as needed.