How to Host Your Own Victorian Tea Party
The Victorian tea party is an elegant yet simple party to host, and one that your guests will remember. The traditional foods are finger foods and hors d’ouvres, so it doesn’t take a lot of cooking and preparation, but the end result is quite impressive.
Invitations
The traditional invitation to a Victorian tea would be a single sheet of paper, often decorated with ribbon, pressed flowers or small bits of lace. These are relatively easy to make on your own, and each invitation can be unique, but most card stores also carry a good line of relatively inexpensive Victorian invitations that you can use. Send out the invitations by mail (so much classier than phone or email invites) at least three weeks before your Victorian tea party, to maintain proper decorum and begin to build excitement about the event.
Set Up and Decoration
The primary focus of a Victorian tea party is always the tea service itself, so make sure that you have a beautiful and intricate silver or china tea pot and service set. It’s okay to borrow one, or shop at an antique store in your area to find one that will work.
A Victorian tea will generally be set up around a long wooden table. For best effect, use a white lace or linen table cloth, and place a lace doily (you can use paper, I won’t tell) under each place setting. Place settings can be quite simple, and need only consist of a teacup and saucer, dessert plate, cloth napkin, teaspoon and butter knife. If you don’t have enough tea cups to serve all your guests, borrow from friends or even go yard sale shopping. Having mismatched and unique pieces will actually add to the ambience of your Victorian tea party.
Food
The food for a Victorian tea party is quite simple. Finger foods and cold hors d’ouvres are really all that is expected. It is traditional to serve small tea sandwiches: cucumber, watercress, and bread and butter sandwiches are all Victorian favorites, but you can update it a bit by including some meat. You can also include baked goods and small sweets, like cookies and scones.
The most important feature of your Victorian tea party will of course be the tea. The tea should be prepared just prior to the service, and should be let to steep for about five minutes in the tea pot, then poured out by the hostess. You may want to provide a variety of teas, although this is not necessarily traditional. Set cream, sugar, and lemon wedges out on the table for your guests to enjoy.
