Updated at: 04-08-2022 - By: cnbusinessnews

High tea, the meal traditionally served around the clock for newlyweds, will be discussed. Below is a sample high tea wedding timeline to help you plan your big day.

Feel free to peruse our site if you’re curious about reading more about weddings of various stripes. It’s exemplified by “white weddings,” in this case.

Learn as much as you can about different weddings so you can select one that suits your needs and wants.

What Is A High Tea Wedding: Expectations And Sample Program

It is customary to share a cup of tea with a friend or loved one at the end of the day, and this custom has been carried over into the wedding ceremony and reception during a high tea. It’s not typical for a wedding to feature a working class meal.

High Teas & Events | High tea wedding, Afternoon tea, Afternoon tea wedding

A high tea wedding, which has heartier fare like meat and bread, is a great alternative to a light afternoon tea wedding if you’re looking for something more substantial. However, high tea at weddings can be a little fancier than usual these days.

What time is high tea?

After a long day of work, it’s customary to have a cup of tea about 5 o’clock in the evening. We’ve already established that this meal is meant to be heartier than the typical fare provided with afternoon tea.

The substantial meal served during high tea may include steak, fish, potatoes, casseroles, or even baked pastries. When guests have been working all day and are sure to be hungry, high tea festivities at weddings are becoming increasingly popular.

High tea gatherings are also trending now. The planner may consult with the hosts and the couple to choose how to make the event more formal and intimate.

There can be a 3:30 ceremony, cocktails at 4, and high tea at 5. If you want to have a reception line at your wedding, you should talk to your wedding planner about how to best organize it.

What does a high tea wedding reception look like?

High tea receptions traditionally feature three-tiered food booths. It’s sandwiched in the middle by a wide variety of breads, and desserts make up its final third.

At the end of the day, the happy couple gets to decide if they want to stick with the tried-and-true fare for their high tea reception or try something new. Guests can either have their food served to them by staff during a high tea wedding celebration, or they can help themselves.

When it comes down to it, you can choose between green, black, and herbal teas for your big day if you host a high tea ceremony. Tea might be served in individual teapots at each table, or it can be served communally by the staff.

Alternative Wedding Reception

Food Service

Most people’s mental picture of High Tea centers on the three-tiered serving stands. Following is the customary presentation sequence for the bites at each stand:

  • The highest layer consists of cheese sticks, scones, and seasonal breads.
  • The middle shelf is full with savory snacks and sandwiches.
  • Desserts are the final course.

The trick is not to digest the layers in their apparent order from top to bottom. The following is a sample order for serving food:

  • Sandwiches and other light fare as an appetizer
  • Scones, cheese sticks, and seasonal breads are great options for the second course.
  • After dinner, dessert must be served!

Sandwiches, cakes, and other sweets are standard fare at most tearooms. It is not necessary to strictly adhere to conventional wedding practices in order to have a lovely High Tea ceremony. You can also add miniature pizzas and deviled eggs to the list of savory foods. The wedding cake might be served in place of dessert, or as a stand-alone item to be cut after the meal.

You should provide both savory and sweet foods, but feel free to put your own spin on them. Make sure the food is planned out with the expertise of your Austin caterer.

Catering will be provided to your guests based on the final menu and seating arrangement you decide on. Everything can be prepared on one large table or at multiple stations. A second option is to use the services of a waiter or waitress. You may write instructions on how to consume the food on a three-tiered stand that you use to prepare the table in advance.

Alternative Wedding Reception - A High Tea Wedding – Texas Weddings

Seating Options

Depending on the location and the number of guests, your High Tea wedding might be either a seated meal or a celebration.

Seating guests at your event gives it more of a sense of formality and makes it easier to draw up an accurate seating chart. Long, elaborate tables can be tasteful and attractive. You can choose to serve the appetizer and main meal as a family style and the rest of the items individually. Just have the wait staff bring out a classic tiered plate arrangement for each course and cover the table in flowers.

A reception-style gathering calls for food displays strategically placed around the venue. Even though the party will have a more casual atmosphere, it will nonetheless have gorgeous tiered displays. A fixed number of items will be available to guests at any given moment.

Avoid excessive lines at the buffet by spreading out the food. High tea is ruined when visitors queue up like they’re at a buffet. The food should be displayed at a number of stations rather than placed on tables around the room. Theme your dinner preparations by grouping dishes that are sweet and savory together. This allows guests to socialize over food and drink without interrupting each other.

Reception-style teas might also have passing hors d’oeuvres and other small bites. Since your guests won’t have plates, you’ll have to make sure to serve enough of finger foods.

Serving the Tea

There are many varieties of tea, but the classic tea service includes black, green, and herbal teas. That way, when they come to visit, your guests can choose from a wider variety of options. However, exotic options like Darjeeling or Chai are also on the table. Whatever you do, use a teacup and saucer while serving tea. To put it simply, I’m not a scumbag.

Guests at a sitting event can be offered tea from individual teapots placed on each table, or wait staff can bring cups to each person as they are served. When hosting a reception, it’s more refined to have wait staff restock tea than to have an open tea station.

Also, there’s no evidence to suggest that adding alcohol to your tea is harmful. For a modern twist on a classic celebration, think about presenting cocktails made with tea. Tea-based cocktails are available.

Decorations

High Tea-themed weddings are a potential designer’s and florist’s dream. Aesthetically, it’s both classy and heartfelt.

You might immediately think of pastel colors when you picture a High Tea setting. Soft pinks, lavender place settings, and light blue linens may come to mind when envisioning this style of party. When combined with tasty pastries, the design is quintessential Bridgerton.

The High Tea wedding theme of pastels and lace need not be exhausted in its application. To add a touch of class to your decor, try choosing opulent colors like emerald green dinnerware, bright grey linens, or deep red velvet napkins. The drawing room has an elegant, global, and refined aesthetic. Look for a manor or large home if you want your wedding to take place in a setting with rich wooden accents and plush leather seating.

In addition to these more aristocratic aesthetics, a rustic vibe can be achieved in High Tea decor. Imagine a lovely country cottage with long wooden tables covered in white lace tablecloths. A country estate or barn is a beautiful setting for a wedding surrounded by trees. Don’t be scared to dress simply when you don’t have much going on. Don’t stop serving that delicious food and champagne!

Sample High Tea Wedding Schedule

Event to begin at 3:30 pm.

Happy hour starts around 4 o’clock

The First and Parent Dances will start at 4:30 in the afternoon.

It’s time for High Tea!

At 6:30 o’clock, there will be toasts and the cutting of the wedding cake.

7:00PM This concludes the reception.

What Is A Tea Party Wedding?

You may be familiar with the term “tea party wedding” from hearing about traditional English afternoon tea ceremonies. What might you expect after such a warm welcome?

There will be a wide variety of antiques on show at the reception, including tea sets, tiered cake stands, gorgeous chinaware, lace, and vintage textiles. Reception hosts should follow proper tea party protocol by providing each guest with their own teapot, teacups, milk, and sugar, and a variety of teas from which to choose.

Cakes, pastries, finger sandwiches, scones, and other sweets fit for a tea party will be provided. The happy couple can also be served a variety of non-traditional dishes, such as pies and burgers.

Decor for a tea party wedding reception should reflect an intimate and elegant vibe. Floral arrangements and a soft color scheme reminiscent of springtime are welcome additions to the space.

What Is Considered A Fancy Wedding?

Weddings that go all out are the epitome of elegance and opulence. You’ll notice that metallic colors like gold and silver are consistently used, and the tone is often formal.

All the trimmings are as lavish as if you were invited to a dinner for the stars. The bride and groom will almost always wear specially crafted garments.

Because of the relative nature of the word “fancy,” the actual subject matter and aesthetic may vary from the description. There is a direct correlation between the sum of money spent on a wedding and its perceived level of extravagance.

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What Is The Difference Between A Bridal Shower And A Bridal Tea?

Friends and family of the bride typically attend wedding showers and present her with presents. Instead, guests bring tea to a bridal tea, where they are free to come and go throughout the event as they want.

Unlike during a wedding shower, there is no custom of immediately opening gifts at a bridal tea. However, brides are free to deviate from convention and host their showers at other times, such as afternoon tea.

8 Steps to Hosting a Tea Party Bridal Shower

Venue

There are several venues that might be suitable for a bridal shower with a tea theme. No brainer; a classic tea house! Look for a tea shop or restaurant that serves tea in the traditional way, or see if any nearby hotels offer tea as a meal option. A second possibility is to inquire at local historic homes and museums about the possibility of renting out a tea room or café for a special occasion. A traditional tea shop is a lovely place to host a bridal shower because they typically offer expert recommendations on the best teas to serve, as well as table service.

A bridal shower in the form of a tea party can be arranged in anyone’s house (or the home of a relative, friend of the bride, etc.). If the weather permits, a backyard or garden makes for a more intimate atmosphere. Think about where people can park, where they can sit (especially if they are elderly guests), where food can be displayed, and where they can all congregate to watch the bride receive her gifts. All of these things require careful forethought and advance preparation.

Color palette

We adore the use of pastels and bright, happy colors for this wedding shower theme. Keep your color palette to no more than three or four tones for the most posh effect. Tea party bridal shower colors could be taken from old-fashioned goods like flowered tableware, patterned tablecloths, and embroidered handkerchiefs.

Invitations

It is not necessary to go all out on the invites for a wedding shower tea. White invitations with black or gold letterpress printing and a floral design never go out of style. The invitation should include the name of the guest of honor, your name (or the host’s name), the theme (and dress code, if applicable), the date, time, and place, and the website/registry information for the couple. Visit this website to learn the proper way to send out invitations to a bridal shower.

Decorations

If the bride has an eye for both traditional and contemporary details, she will love a wedding with a vintage twist. Don’t stress about having everything at the wedding shower tea party coordinate precisely with one another. Instead, opt for a shabby-chic, eclectic look that gives the impression that the pieces were acquired over time. Mix and match dinnerware, add fresh flowers, and set the table with a lace tablecloth and vases from China to create an inviting, warm ambiance. Spending less than you’d like for your bridal tea party shower? If you don’t want to spend any money for decorations, you can either go on a treasure hunt at a thrift store or borrow them from family members such as your grandmother, aunt, or mother. Shopping for home furnishings? Bear your color scheme in mind and keep in mind that less is more when it comes to maximizing a room’s aesthetic potential.

Flowers

Fresh flowers are a simple way to add beauty to any space. We think that flowers for a bridal shower tea party should be arranged in a more casual, garden style. If you’re having a professional florist create your bouquets and centerpieces, you can expect them to use both common flowers like roses and peonies and more unique options like carnations, tulips, and daffodils.

Attire

For a long time, tea parties have required guests to dress in a semi-formal manner. Dresses and skirts are acceptable alternatives to floor-length gowns for the ladies. It’s okay to wear bright colors, patterns, and short silhouettes as long as they aren’t overly casual or exposed. If you’re going all-out, consider wearing a cap, strappy heels, or stylish flats if you’ll be outside.

Favors

Personalized ceramic mugs, tea infusers, and tea bags all make wonderful additions to a bridal shower gift registry. Some of our favorite alternatives include lavender sachets, wooden honey dippers, and pastries shaped like teapots and teabags.

Conclusion

Indeed, this is the final word on the subject! We were just educated on the concept of a “high tea wedding,” which is essentially a reception served in the style of high tea and held after 5 o’clock in the evening.

High tea is a more substantial meal than afternoon tea, which often consists of finger foods and pastries. On the other hand, the high tea wedding is entirely up to the bride and husband.