Simple or Fancy, Tea Parties are fun!
Assuming you are not five years old and your Tea party will not include guests of the stuffed variety. There are some considerations to make when planning a Tea party.
A Tea party can be simple or fancy. It can mean as little as one guest coming over to enjoy a cup of tea and a good conversation. Or it can mean a pressed table cloth, nice sandwiches, Tea, and pastries. It all depends on what you are looking for. This is not to say that the tea parties that we all attended and hosted as kids are not important, as they provided a fantastic venue to learn about hosting guests, but in general many of the elements that apply to stuffed animals do not apply to actual human guests.
If you elect to host a Tea party, it is usually a good idea to at least have a few varieties of tea available. Tea is becoming more common and more popular but unless you know for a fact that all of your guests drink a certain type of tea, having several options, including coffee and hot chocolate should not be overlooked. At minimum have Black Tea, Herbal Tea, and a lighter tea for your guests to choose from. Be familiar with the teas you are serving so you can talk to your guests about them and help them choose a tea that he or they will enjoy. Like any gathering, do not take offense, or let on that you take offense if your guests do not choose to have a cup of tea, he or she may just not be ready too. Guests often do not feel comfortable trying a new food or beverage in the presence of the company, respect that, and make sure that there are widely appealing choices.
When you host a tea party, take the time to learn about the tea you are serving, and if possible serve the tea in loose form as it will have a more complex flavor and generally be preferable to the quality of tea served in bags. Be comfortable preparing the tea, this may mean practicing a few times but it will ensure that you do not overstep your tea and are comfortable with all of the preparations.
