by Jenny Wells

To begin planning your tea party event, no matter what the season or event you need start by answering a few questions:

1. How many people will you invite?
2. Who will they be?
3. What is your budget? How much does that give you per person?
4. When will your event take place?
5. What will be your theme? Some ideas for your spring event are available through my post,

Once you make these decisions, you need to send out your invitations. These can be done a number of ways. Remember, keep your budget in mind. I’ve listed some options below.

1. E-vites (free)
2. Snail-Mail Invitations with
   1. spring-themed papers and your computer
   2. preprinted Hallmark invitations you pick up at your local store and handwrite.
   3. handmade, scrap-booking materials
3. Telephone Calls (personal, but take up your time. depending on the number of people you are trying to coordinate).

Next, you need to plan the menu. Remember to keep your budget, theme, and time of day in mind. And DON’T forget to plan the tea. I’ve written a thorough article on The Steps to Creating a Tea Party Menu to help with your planning. Specific ways to incorporate flavors of spring in the traditional tea menu are with:

• Asparagus and Red Onion Frittata
• Potato and Leek Soup
• The Best Broccoli Bacon Salad
• Cherry Cardamom Scones
• Fresh Apricot and Blueberry Muffins
• Fresh Strawberry Buttermilk Shortcake

Tea flavors I suggest to serve at an spring-themed event, depending on your menu, are:

• Darjeeling Margaret’s Hope Autumnal FTGFOP-1
• Wedding Tea, 20 Sachets in Vintage Tin, by Harney & Sons
• Lady Londonberry
• Green Tea Japanese Cherry
• Strawberry-Kiwi Fruit, Loose Tea (no caffeine)

Once you’ve decided on your menu, think through how you will set your table. I’ve written some about setting the tea table already. Now is the time to think through what you already own, what you need to purchase, and what you can borrow. How many tables and chairs will you need? Remember, intimate is never more than eight, so take that into account when you think through your seating arrangement. What will be your centerpiece(s) and how you will incorporate your theme?

Include items in your table decorations that remind you of the season’s color and new beginnings. Start with what you can use from outside. Flowering branches are beautiful and inexpensive. Find a friend who would let you clip flowers from her garden, like daffodils or if it’s later in the season, roses. Purchase small pots of blooming bulbs like hyacinth or tulips. Remember to keep your centerpieces low enough so your guests can see one another.

Part of setting your table means polishing any silver pieces and ironing any linens. Will you include a printed menu for your guests benefit? This is also the time to make/purchase some place-cards and decide what you want to give as a favor.

Take time now to decide what to wear and what music to play. How can these two elements add to your theme? This is the time of year to pull out the pastel-colors in your closet. Pick a color to wear by your face that is not a neutral; stay away from beige, black, and browns. If you own a lot of those colors, wear them on your bottom half. Some ideas for spring-themed music are:

• Winter into Spring by George Winston
  
• Little Women: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Handel’s Water Music

Once these decisions are made, you will see your theme come together with all the elements that help us celebrate spring’s beauty. Be sure to spend some more time perusing Tea Party Girl’s archives for further details you might need to plan your tea party event. As always, feel free to email me or leave a comment with your questions as well.

Another great article with fun ideas is this one: My Cheat Sheet For A Spring Tea Menu

and you may find this one useful, also: A Scrumptious Vegan Tea Party

Tea Party Girl Asks: Are you planning a spring-related tea event? Have you hosted one? Please share your experience/plan with us in the comments.