Tea for Two

"A woman is like a tea bag; only in hot water do you realize how strong she is." Eleanor Roosevelt 

In the interest of my favorite past time, and given that my father bestowed upon me the most amazing Royal Albert Tea Set as a wedding present, I thought it fitting that I should share some tips on how to host a perfect Tea Party.

tea party - noun: An afternoon social gathering at which tea and light refreshments are served. 

What will I need?

• Top of the list - good company. Keep in mind that the tea ritual was designed to be a cozy and intimate gathering so be sure to limit your guest list!
• Send invitations two weeks ahead of time. Written invitations are always elegant, but telephone or email  will do. 
• Gather the following: a teapot, teacups and saucers, a tea strainer and small dish to deposit the tea leaves or tea bag, a pot of milk, lemon slices, jam, sugar and artificial sweetener, small plates, utensils, and napkins.
• On the day of the tea, bring refreshments in on trays or a cart and set the table so that guests may serve themselves. The hostess should always pour the tea and pass it to each guest    

                  

What Kind of Tea Shall It Be?

• Light Tea: this is a simple spread consisting of scones, jam, and cream. It is ideal for girl talk with your closest friends. And it's informal enough to serve right in the kitchen!
• Afternoon Tea or Low tea: is traditionally served between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The menu consists of light finger sandwiches, scones, assorted pastries, and a layer cake or trifle. Hold this elegant tea in a comfortable setting such as a living room or den. In warm weather, move the party to a lawn, deck, or even poolside.
• High tea is a sit-down meal traditionally served after 6:00 p.m, high tea consists of robust meat dishes, bread and cheese, and a dessert of cake or pie.

                                                          

What to Serve?

Cucumber Mint Tea Sandwiches

½ stick butter

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves

8 slices of bread, crusts removed

½ large cucumber, thinly sliced

Sugar

In small bowl, mix butter and mint until well blended. Spread mixture onto slices of bread. Lay cucumber on 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle a dash of sugar on cucumber. Top with remaining slices of bread. Cut diagonally and serve.

8 servings.

Cranberry Scones 

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, diced

1 cup whipping cream

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg white

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add butter until mixture is course and crumbly. Add whipping cream and stir until mixture is moist. Mix in cranberries, nutmeg, and orange zest.Place on a lightly floured surface and knead 6 or 7 times. Roll until ½ inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place each scone 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Brush tops of scones with egg white and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

12 servings

Having a tea party is an inexpensive way to entertain your closest friends. The serving is usually light, and easy to pick up with the fingers. Tea time can be a simple pause during the day or a multicourse meal. The tea meal can be as flexible and reflective of mood or theme as you wish.


Happy Planning! :)

A Touch of Mehndi

One of the most exiting parts of having an Indian wedding is the experience of having the mehndi done.

I had my trial done on Monday and I am in awe of the work these talented woman do. The most interesting part of the experience was learning how Nikita came to practice the art of mehndi, "I was doodling at a cousins wedding..." at which point an elder pulled her a side and began to teach her the fine art of painting the elegant designs onto brides hands and feet.

Have a look at some of the photos that were taken by Wesley Poon on my Mehndi Evening, the night before my wedding.

Enjoy!

The Photos You Don't Get to See ;)

The best part about wedding photos have to be those candid shots that the photographer just has to take, whether you want him/her to or not!

Here are some wedding candid shots I thought I would share with you for some laughs this new year! The most famous being "The Bride Carrying Her Dress, Elegantly Of Course!"

Hope you enjoy!

The most elegant - the bride lugging her heavy dress around

Notice anything strange about this shot :)

Walking thought the street a gust of wind caught all of us off guard!

Another one of those elegant "show some leg while carrying my large dress around" shots

Inspiration ~ Realisation

For a bit of fun and to prove that with a little bit of Vision - all of your dreams can come true. I have posted some of my "Inspiration" and "Realisation" photos for you to browse through.

Hope these inspire you to find those elements that would make your event perfect, put them on a photo board, computer desk top, notebook, or anywhere really where you will look at them everyday and be inspired to turn your dreams into a reality - a little bit of Personal Mastery for events really :)

Happy planning!

THE WEDDING DRESS

 

THE BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

THE GROOMSMEN

Flower Girls and Tutus... made with love ;)

Having had the desire from... lets say day one, to become a world famous fashion designer, I thought that my wedding would be the best opportunity to put my sewing and design skills to the test! (I had a trial run for my sister's wedding last year when I took three plain dresses and dolled them up with red rose detail on the skirts and a cute red band around the waist).

Not wanting to "bite off more than I could chew" I decided on ready made white dresses from Woolworths and then I would add cute button details to the flowers, change the plain buttons on the dresses and, oh yes, construct a tutu from scratch!

It took some time and vast amounts of research but I finally managed to put together four cute tutu's that added that touch of "fairy, princess-like glamour" that my flower girls needed. The process, though tiresome, was in the end rewarding! The moral of this post - add a touch of you to your event. For me it was fashion, my family and friends understood that there was no way any member of my bridal party would wear a thing without my say, input and of course, designer touch!