Tea Time

Sure, shower teas are being held at plush hotel tea rooms around the country. Even the small and cozy inn-like tea houses are booked with bridal shower parties on the weekends. But one of the best parts about a bridal shower tea is that it’s easy to do yourself at a minimal expense. Why serve a full course meal at a shower when a tea is less expensive and so much fun to prepare and enjoy? With a little attention to menu and decor, you can transport the bride and your guests to a British haven in your own home.
So break out that china that always sits in the cabinet and let’s put the kettle on...it’s time for a bridal shower tea. First, though, we have to pay a little bit of respect to the Victorians, who made high tea fashionable. The seventh Duchess of Bedford is credited with inventing the afternoon tea, and the things we associate with afternoon tea, from the scones and little sandwiches to the tea blends themselves, are from Victorian times.

Please come to a tea:

The traditional invitation to a tea is a simple white or cream card, but if you want a more decorative invitation look for floral borders, especially with roses, or borders with pictures of teacups. For a really simple invitation, use decorative handwriting on a white doily and stuff it into a pink envelope. Another idea: put a tea bag in with the invitation so the guest can get into the spirit of the upcoming tea party. Call the tea for anytime between 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.—the traditional time for high tea. The earlier the tea, the lighter the menu—the later, the more meal-like.

Table Talk:

If you have fine china, this is the perfect time to use it, especially if it’s English bone china. A matching set of teacups is fine, but for a really charming look use mismatched teacups. An array of delicate cups with cottage roses, green leaves and dainty buds looks great on the serving table and lends a vintage feel. Sources for a cup collection: family members, friends, antique shops, garage sales. A high tea is also a time to use any silver serving pieces you might have; a three-tiered silver serving tray is perfect to display the teatime goodies. Use a white lace or just plain white tablecloth on the table, and flowers as a centerpiece. Roses or daisies are good choices. If you want to go with paper goods for the shower, you can still have a beautiful table. Just think pretty, and stick with whites and pinks or floral patterns. Lit candles on the table and classical music in the background can add ambience.

Reading tea leaves:

The tea itself, of course, is an essential component of the tea shower. You can use whatever blends you like, there are no rules. Popular teas to serve include Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe. You can offer decaffeinated fruity teas or herbal teas such as chamomile and Red Zinger as well. If the shower will be held on a hot summer day, you can choose to serve a selection of iced teas.

First, pour hot water into your teapot to warm it, then pour it out and add a teaspoon of loose tea for each cup of tea desired. Add one extra teaspoonful for the pot. If you’re using teabags, use one bag less than the total number of cups you want to make. Bring a kettle full of cold water to a boil, and as soon as it boils, remove from heat to prevent overboiling. Pour boiling water into the teapot and let brew for five minutes. Pour over a tea strainer into cups, or take out tea bags if using them and serve.

Just My Cup of Tea:

To serve the tea, first put milk (the English call it cream although it’s actually milk) in the cup, then sugar cubes depending on how many the guest wants. Then pour in the tea. Guests can re-fill their cups and try a variety of different flavors. For those who don’t like tea, you can offer punch in a big crystal bowl, another English tradition.

Food, Glorious Food:

Think mini -- tea trays are laden with little dainty foods. A typical menu includes little scones with clotted cream, lemon curd and fruit preserves; tea sandwiches made on thinly-sliced bread with the crusts removed; and sweets like mini-cheesecakes, assorted cookies and fruit tartlets. If you want to offer more food, a crudites platter with dip is a good addition as is pate with water crackers. Cucumber sandwiches and watercress sandwiches are old standbys at high tea. But be creative in filling the tea sandwiches: berry jam and butter (great on dark bread), chicken salad, tomato and basil, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and egg salad are all good fillers. The sandwiches are easy to make, and a group of bridesmaids might have fun filling them and cutting them into triangles.
If you love to bake, make an array of your favorite cookie recipes for the tea. If you’re not a lover of baking, just order the mini-muffins, scones and petite pastries from your favorite bakery. And if you don’t want to deal with food preparation at all, some teahouses will fill platters that you provide for take-out.
There is an order in which to eat the goodies at a high tea -- start with the scones, move on to the savory foods and finish up with the sweets. At the shower, you can encourage guests to socialize during the scones and savories and open gifts during the sweets.

Gift Giving:

Guests can go with the tea theme in buying gifts for the bride: pieces from her china pattern, serving pieces, a tea kettle, a teapot, table linens. And guests who win shower games can be treated to ceramic tea mugs or beautifully wrapped packages of tea as party favors.

The Philosophy of Tea:

An afternoon tea has a special, tranquil feel. It allows guests to slow down and take a break from hectic everyday life. And drinking tea encourages lingering and chitchat, both great ingredients at a bridal shower.
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