Tips Before You Toast

For a fun flashback, I thought I’d share a few tips to hosting a fabulous potluck tea while going through some of the details from our Royal Wedding tea a few weekends ago.

I’ve said it before, but I love a good potluck party. It’s the most versatile, gives your guests a fun role to play, and takes the pressure off of you, the host or hostess. Here a few tips for hosting a successful potluck tea:

  • If you’re sending out a Paperless Post or a group email, ask your friends to reply all or post a comment that all guests can see noting what they’re bringing. This helps you, as the host or hostess, fill any gaps. You can give options to guests to make things easier and make sure that everything is covered. We did this for our Easter brunch and it worked out wonderfully (more tips from planning our Easter brunch here). We listed out a few dishes (hash browns, egg dish, protein, veggie side, etc.) and let guests select the dish they’d like to bring. This way your guests still have freedom to get creative or bring a family favorite and you can make sure that you have everything you need for the meal.

  • Take the bigger lift items if you’re the host or hostess, i.e. the main protein or wine. I usually plan to make an extra side dish and an appetizer or two just to make sure that we don’t run out of food. Chill a bottle or two of sparkling water for the table as you chill the wines.

  • Make sure you have enough protein. It’s so simple to add on a casserole, parfait bar, or a quiche or two. This way you’re covered if more of your guests decide to bring sweets or sparkling wine. An important tip for anyone hosting: be flexible. The most important thing to keep in mind is to make your guests feel welcome – and always have a full glass!
  • Extra fruit is always appreciated. It’s a nice palette cleanser and is so refreshing between pastries and breakfast items. It’s like the vegetable tray for brunch, breakfast, or tea.

Make sure you have the goods covered. Here’s what you’ll need to host a tea:

  • Tea strainers (if you’re serving loose tea). I recommend teas (loose or bagged) from Fortnum & Mason or Harney & Sons. My sweet friend Lindsay brought back the Wedding Breakfast tea (linked above) from London and it is wonderful. The tea strainers also make perfect party favors, too (linking the ones I found here, and some additionally pretty alternatives here and here).

  • A reliable and attractive teapot. My personal favorite is this one by MacKenzie-Childs.
  • Tea cups, saucers, and teaspoons. I used the set from our gold-rimmed china, though you can mix and match so long as they have a common theme – florals, gold- or silver-rimmed, vintage, etc. You can find beautiful vintage sets at antique shops all over or snag a set of newer ones from stores like Home Goods.
  • Accoutrements: sugar cubes, honey, lemon slices, cream, etc.
  • Votive or taper candles, of course. I almost always have candles burning. It sets such a beautiful ambiance no matter the occasion.
  • Flowers – keep it simple. We stuck with bunches of pastel tulips to brighten our spring table. Clusters of peonies or hydrangea blooms are also elegant options.

  • Cocktail napkins. My favorites, as y’all know by now, are by Caspari. I used these Le Jardin de Mysore cocktail napkins by Pierre Frey for Caspari to add a bit of Old World elegance and for something a little different and unexpected.

Keep the attire appropriate. We would have loved to do sundresses and hats, but instead settled for athleisure and fascinators since the Royal Wedding was broadcast so early. We did end up recording the wedding and starting our tea at 8:00 a.m.

Of course, Kate Middleton’s wedding scent by Jo Malone was ours for tea. You can find it here.

We kept our decor on-theme with crown confetti (purchased here), a gold banner (purchased here, and DIY so you can use it again), and (of course) an inflatable corgi (here).

Cheers!