My sister turned 30 this year and wanted to have a small intimate lunch with close friends and family. She wanted to have a tea themed party for adults and wanted me to create and design the party.
WELCOME TABLE
The welcome sign was ordered through Walgreens. They make poster board signs in one hour. If you use their coupons, you can get a good deal. The poster board sign was 16x20 and you can use a template to design it.
I used a rose gold sequin table cover from Tablecloth Factory to give it a hint of elegance. I also used a lace overlay that I ordered from Amazon to go over the tablecloth.
I made a "Back in 1989" chalkboard sign along with a sign that tells guest to take a picture of themselves with a Polaroid for the guest wall.
For an icebreaker, I had a sign asking guests to take the yarn and cut it in any length to keep for a game. Once we started, I had guests talk about themselves for however long their yarn was.
TABLE SETTING
We had a total of 8 guests so I wanted to set the tables close together so we can see each other. I ended up putting together two 6 ft tables together to create a square table seating 2 people on each side.
For the chairs, I ordered white chair covers from Tablecloth Factory and gold sashes from Amazon. For the table, I used two gold table covers and the lace overlay to create this antique exquisite look. For the centerpieces, I bought the lanterns from Hobby Lobby when they had their 50% off sale. For the greenery, I ordered artificial greenery from Amazon to give it a garden look. I used a teapot set I received from my mother to use as the centerpieces but you can definitely go look for a set at your local thrift store or you can look at Amazon. For the flowers, we have someone in our neighborhood who sells bundles of flowers for $6 so I decided to get a bundle from her. The flowers started to wilt but it gave it an old antique look that I was going for.
Each seat had plates and utensils with wine cups, coffee cups (we used this for tea) and a place card. My sister created the party favor (paper teapot pictured above). It had candy, tea spoon and a bag of tea in there.
Click on the links below to see where I bought these items:
BEVERAGE STATION
I bought floral fabric from Joann Fabrics to create this backdrop but if you don't want to make your own backdrop, you can order one from Amazon or Etsy. The CHEERS mylar balloons was from Target. The dream catchers is from Joann Fabrics.
We decided to have 3 types of beverage station at this table:
1. Mimosa Bar:
Mimosa Bar Sign
Orange Juice and Lemonade
Moscato Wine
Berries (blueberries and strawberries) for topping
2. Water
Place water in a jar to give it a more elegant look. You can also add lemon to give it flavor.
3. Tea Bar
Tea Bar Sign
Different selection of tea (we bought ours from Mad Hatter in Anoka, MN)
Electric kettle
FOOD AND DESSERT TABLE
I decided to combine the food and dessert on the same table so we can have less tables set up. The menu chalk board sign was bought at Hobby Lobby when they had their 50% off sale.
Menu:
1. Tea Sandwiches
Smoked salmon and cucumbers (Spread cream cheese onto the white bread, place salmon on the bread and sliced cucumbers on the other side. Cut off the crusts and cut the sandwich in half).
Chicken Salad (Put the chicken salad on the white bread. Cut the crusts and cut the sandwich in half.)
Strawberry and cream cheese (Spread cream cheese on one side of the white bread and spread strawberry jam on the other slice. Place sliced strawberries on the jam side. Cut the crusts and cut the sandwich in half.)
2. Chicken wings (we catered this from China Chef)
3. Wontons (we catered this from China Chef)
4. Caesar Salad (we bought this from Costco)
Dessert:
1. Letter N cake (Catered from Zhong Lor's Bakery)
2. Coconut Jello and Rice Cakes (Catered from Zhong Lor's Bakery)
3. Berries and Cream (blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries in a cup. Add whip on top)
I also made the backdrop for this. You can always order one on Amazon or Etsy. I bought the "YAY" Mylar balloons from Target.
I used a wooden crate to elevate the main cake to make it look like the main point of the dessert section. Place some fake candles around to give it a glowing look.
ADULT GAMES
We played 3 games to make the party more fun and entertaining. We gave each winner a $10 gift card to Amazon.
Game 1: Who knows the Birthday Girl the best?
Make a questionnaire of questions about the birthday girl and have people fill it out.
Game 2: Memory Game
Put 10 - 15 items in a tray and walk around with it so people can see what's in it. After give them a piece of paper to write down all that they can remember.
Game 3: Draw a teapot
Have each guest hold a piece of paper on their head and draw a teapot for 1 minute. Have the birthday girl pick the winner.
OTHER DECORATIONS
Ceiling:
We bought flower lights from Target and hung it on the ceiling to give it a garden look.
Photo backdrop:
I made my backdrop but you can always find a backdrop on Amazon or Etsy. I added a 40 inch "30" Mylar balloons for the backdrop. I added a bench for seating. I also had a Polaroid camera next to the photo backdrop so guests can take pictures and take it home with them.
Overall, this adult tea party is easy to achieve. If you don't have time to DIY, you can buy most of these items on Amazon.
Happy Crafting!!