Online Class: Tea Parties 101

Tea parties are often stereotyped as women's events, but there is no reason men can't attend or host a tea party. However, if you do host a mixed-company tea party, it is probably wise to avoid overdosing on frills like lace doilies, chintz chair cushions and finger sandwiches cut in the shape of fluffy bunnies. 

Food preparation at a tea party is usually very simple, featuring the kinds of items you can make ahead of time, like sliced fruit, simple sandwiches, cookies and sweets. The food can be served buffet style or passed on plates for a smaller group. Since the foods are small and easy to eat standing or sitting without a table, you don't have to worry about providing a proper table setting for each guest, which allows you to comfortably host a large or small number of people at your tea party. 

Tea parties can work with any size crowd and budget. You can have one friend join you for tea at home to catch up on her life story, or you can have 250 people come together for tea and sandwiches at a silent auction fundraiser. You can adjust the budget by changing the types of foods and teas that you serve, and how they are presented. To keep it inexpensive, make your own muffins, scones or cookies and serve with the cups and mugs you already own. If you have a large budget, you can have a caterer prepare all the food, and you can invest in attractive china and table linens. 

Tea parties can also be a great excuse to get dressed up. In an age when ties and dresses are, for many of us, a rare item indeed, a tea party is a great time to put on our finery. (We understand that, for some people, this may actually be a disadvantage). 

One obstacle that you will have to overcome if you host a tea party is perception that a tea is a women's event. If you are hosting an event that already tends to appeal to women more than men, like a baby shower, choosing a tea party theme will definitely reinforce the notion that it is a women's party, which is fine if that is your intent--but if you want the guys to come too, you would do well to make sure they are clearly included in the invitation, and make sure to include something that appeals to guys--or at least avoid making the invitations overly cutesy or lacy.