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The bridal shower tea party, in four lines
An elegant theme where the food does much of the decorating.
- Total host bill
- $340Revelwick's estimate at eighteen guests, with more in food and less in decor
- The decor
- The foodTiered stands, teapots and cake set the table. Add one low arrangement
- Length
- Two hoursAfternoon tea is a two hour format by convention
- The china
- Borrow itMismatched cups are the look, and buying them adds up quickly
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Bridal shower tea party ideas by style
Choose the look first, then the invitations, decor and menu follow.
Vintage tea party
Mismatched floral china, lace doilies, pearls and garden roses, with a touch of family history.
Garden party
Outdoors or by open windows, with fresh flowers, wicker, and a light floral dress code.
Bridgerton tea
Pastel blue and lilac, pearls, gloves as an option, and an elegant Regency style menu.
Pastel and floral
Blush, mint and lavender linens with peonies and macarons, soft and romantic.
Boho tea
Wildflowers, rattan, terracotta and a relaxed dress code for a backyard shower.
Alice in Wonderland
A playful mad hatter tea with teacup stacks, playing cards and colorful cakes.
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The bridal shower tea party menu
The classic three tier structure, which is a complete lunch for eighteen guests.
Tea sandwiches
Cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, chicken salad and smoked salmon, crusts off and cut into fingers.
Scones
Plain and fruit scones with clotted cream or whipped cream, lemon curd and jam.
Sweets
Macarons, mini tarts, petit fours, shortbread and a small cake for the toast.
Teas
Two teas brewed in pots: one black tea served with milk and sugar, one caffeine free herbal tea.
A sparkling toast
Champagne or sparkling rosé, with sparkling lemonade for guests who are not drinking.
Something savory for the table
Mini quiches or a cheese board for guests who want more than finger sandwiches.
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What a bridal shower tea party costs
A Revelwick estimate for eighteen guests at home, with more of the budget in food and less in decor.
$150
The food
Three tiers for eighteen: finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and small pastries. Bought in, this is the figure. Made at home it is closer to ninety and takes a morning.
$55
Tea and drinks
Two good teas brewed in pots, milk, lemon, and something sparkling for the toast. Fifteen dollars of that is the tea itself.
$50
Flowers, one arrangement
Lower than a normal shower because the tiers are already doing the centerpiece work. One arrangement, low enough to see over.
$45
China, hired or borrowed
Forty to sixty to rent eighteen settings, or nothing at all if three guests each bring two cups from home.
$40
Paper and favors
Invitations, place cards, and one small favor. The tea itself makes the best favor here and costs about two dollars a guest.
That is three hundred and forty dollars, the same as this site's shower estimate. A bridal shower tea party moves money from decor to food, so buying a full decor kit on top of the menu is the way to overspend.
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The two hours of a bridal shower tea party, in order
Afternoon tea already has a natural shape, which makes the event easy to plan.
Arrivals, with the tea already brewed
Twenty-five minutes, and allow extra because some guests arrive late. Pour the first cups before anybody rings the bell so nobody stands holding a coat.
The tiers, immediately
Do not wait for everybody. Eating gets a mixed age room talking, and serving on time keeps the afternoon on schedule.
One game, sitting down
Fifteen minutes, played from the table, needing nothing printed.
Gifts, if there are gifts
The block that decides the length of everything. Eighteen gifts one at a time can take close to an hour, so keep it moving.
Cake and one short speech
Sixty seconds from the host, one from the bride if she wants it. A tea party has a natural place for cake and it is here.
The soft ending
Fresh pots for whoever is staying, and favors by the door.
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What to buy for a bridal shower tea party, and what to skip
The rule here is that anything the food is already doing does not need buying again.
Worth buying
- Two or three tiered standsThe single object that makes this theme work. Borrowed or bought, they are the centerpiece, the serving plan and the decor at once.$0 to $35
- Two good loose teasOne black, one caffeine-free. Brewed in pots rather than displayed in jars. About fifteen dollars and it is what people came for.About $15
- Cloth napkinsThe cheapest thing that makes a table look considered, and they are in every photograph of the food.About $16
- One low arrangementLow enough to see over, because at a tea everybody is seated and facing each other across the table.About $50
- Borrowed mismatched cupsThree guests bringing two each. Costs nothing, looks exactly right, and every guest who brought one notices hers.$0
- Tea as the favorA small bag of the tea that was served, about two dollars a guest. The rare favor that gets used.
Skip
- A full decor set on top of the foodThe tiers are the centerpiece, so a themed decor kit buys the same job twice.
- A tea bar with eight jarsLooks lovely but makes it hard to brew each tea well. Two teas brewed in pots are easier to serve.
- Paper cups printed like chinaThey read as neither in a photograph and cost about the same as thrifted real ones.
- Buying eighteen china settingsPast a hundred dollars for cups you will store forever. Borrow them, or rent for forty to sixty.
- Fascinators and gloves for the roomA costume decision made on eighteen guests' behalf. Make any wearable element optional.
- A second and third cakeOne cake at the end. The tiers have already fed everybody twice.
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How to plan a bridal shower tea party
Invitations, the table, china, activities, favors and what to wear.
A bridal shower tea party is an elegant, easy theme to host: guests sit down to tea sandwiches, scones and sweets, the tiered stands double as decor, and afternoon tea has a natural two hour shape. It suits a guest list with a wide age range and works at home, in a garden or at a tea room. For more ideas, see bridal shower themes.
Invitations
Send invitations four to six weeks ahead with a teacup or floral design, a playful line such as let's partea before the wedding, the start and end time, the registry and a note on the dress code. Set the RSVP date about two weeks before the shower.
Setting the table
Use a long table so everyone faces the bride, with a linen tablecloth, cloth napkins, two or three tiered stands, teapots and one low floral arrangement. Mismatched vintage china looks beautiful and can be borrowed from family and friends, which adds a sentimental touch when a grandmother's teacups are on the table.
Choosing and serving the tea
Two teas brewed properly in pots are easier to serve well than a large tea bar. Offer milk, sugar, lemon and honey, and keep a kettle going for refills. The bridal shower food ideas page has more menu ideas.
Activities and games
Choose activities guests can enjoy seated with a teacup: a tea tasting guessing game, a hat or fascinator decorating station, advice cards for the bride, or a flower crown bar. One game is enough for two hours. See bridal shower games.
Favors
Small bags of the tea that was served, a honey jar, a mini jam, a teacup candle or a packet of blooming tea make useful favors guests take home.
What to wear
The bride wears white or a soft pastel. Guests wear a garden party dress, a floral midi or a pastel outfit, not white. Hats and gloves can be a fun optional touch, never a requirement.
Hosting and who does what
Choose one host to emcee the event, welcome guests and keep the gift opening moving, and ask a friend to pour the tea so the host can enjoy the celebration.
Two teas in pots, three tiers, borrowed china. The table decorates itself.
The tea party rulePlanning
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Bridal shower tea parties, answered
The questions hosts ask while planning.
What food do you serve at a bridal shower tea party?
Tea sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and small sweets such as macarons and tarts.
Add a small cake for the toast.
What tea should you serve at a bridal shower?
Two teas brewed in pots: a black tea with milk and a caffeine free herbal tea.
Offer sugar, lemon and honey.
Do you need real china for a tea party bridal shower?
It looks best, and it can be borrowed from guests or rented.
Skip paper cups printed to look like china.
How much does a bridal shower tea party cost?
About $340 for eighteen guests at home, as a Revelwick estimate.
More goes to food and less to decor.
What should guests wear to a tea party bridal shower?
A garden party dress, a floral midi or a pastel outfit, not white.
Hats are optional.
What games work at a bridal shower tea party?
A tea tasting guess, advice cards, or a hat decorating station.
Choose activities guests can do seated.
What are good tea party bridal shower favors?
Small bags of tea, honey, jam or a teacup candle.
Tea from the party is a thoughtful choice.
How long should a tea party bridal shower last?
About two hours.
Afternoon tea has a natural end.
Where can you host a bridal shower tea party?
At home, in a garden, at a tea room or in a hotel lounge.
A long table helps everyone see the bride.
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What to read next
The rest of the room, what the whole afternoon costs the host, and what the guests are bringing.
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Where these numbers come from
Prices are Revelwick estimates for the items; the patterns about length and age range are Revelwick's editorial judgment.
What the figures are
Every cost on this page is a Revelwick editorial estimate for a bridal shower of about eighteen guests. It is a starting point for a budget conversation rather than a quote, and prices move, so check the current price before you book anything.
The prices
Borrowed cups cost nothing, so the china line is priced at the rental figure rather than the cheapest option.
Stamps
- Revelwick estimate