AFTERNOON tea is arguably one of the best British inventions ever.
It’s a sure-fire way to get you feeling like royalty or part of the Ton, Bridgerton-style.
Plus, throwing a gorgeous afternoon tea will always be a brilliant idea for a summer baby shower, hen do or big birthday.
But it’s not just about the food you serve up, because how you tablescape your feast is just as important – after all, a proper afternoon tea should look just as good as those scones taste.
Which is why I’ve picked some brilliant buys to help you celebrate one of your nearest and dearest in style – all while stuffing yourselves silly.
It’s time to get the tea, gentle reader…
Nothing adds a sense of occasion better than flowers.
A table laden with blooms is a visual treat and you can use vases, old wine bottles and pretty pitchers to display your best petals.
Forage as much as you can too – common knapweed (the blue thistle-like plant) is a great filler flower.
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, perennial salvia, garden phlox, purple coneflower, New England aster and obedient plant are all blooms that have long seasons and are perfect for adding to homemade bouquets.
So if you don’t have these yet, get planting now!
And if you want a gorgeous gift for the person you are celebrating, perhaps as a souvenir of the day, this will vase do very nicely…
The easiest way to make your spread look like a pro’s?
Picking (and sticking to) a theme.
Whether you’re going for full-on Bridgerton vibes, embracing a more modern vibe with a tropical-themed spread, or channelling rustic wedding vibes with all white, pick a base colour that will tie everything together.
Not got a tablecloth in the birthday girl’s favourite shade? No problem, try using a flat sheet instead – £7 from George Home.
Handwritten place cards always add a personal touch, but if you don’t have the finest handwriting, you can print off the names in your favourite font instead.
And whether you pin it to a pretty napkin or a sprig of rosemary, or you just tie them to teaspoons with twine, you’ll have added extra-special vibes with minimal effort.
Talking of pretty napkins, I adore Manchester-based Eleanor Bowmer’s new collaboration with Pure Table Top.
It’s full of gems including cute cake plates and a gorgeous scalloped tray.
They are all future heirlooms in the making…
We all love a candle, but you don’t want to pick ones that are too pungent, because they’ll overpower your spread.
But a safe scent to opt for is a delicate vanilla, because it always scores as the most popular fragrance of candle.
Meanwhile, dinner candles are an instant win for adding height and interest to your tablescape.
Another clever way of adding height is to use pineapples as decorations – just like they did at parties in the Victorian era.
Finally, it’s the thoughtful touches that will elevate your afternoon tea to something really special.
Think about favours – baking a batch of lavender biscuits for your guests to take home and eat the next day is a super-cute idea.
Or pop mini succulents at each place setting and think about a paint-your-own-plant-pot activity after the feast.
As the picture below shows – you don’t even need to have table to make a eye-catching feast.
You just need creativity (and, in this case, some wooden pallets!)
