The Ultimate Guide to Hosting A Valentine’s Tea Party

Celebrate Valentine’s by inviting your girlfriends over for a good old-fashioned tea party! See my step-by-step guide to hosting the perfect gathering on this sweet holiday.

There’s something delightful about sipping on a cup of tea while visiting with your loved ones… Now, combine that with Valentine’s Day, and you’ve got the perfect opportunity to gather your girlfriends to share laughter and create memories over a good ol’ cup of tea! A Valentine’s tea party has become one of my favorite events to host every year. The hearts, roses, and fine china create a beautiful theme!

The best thing about hosting an event is you can make it all your own… For example, you don’t have to host a Valentine’s tea… you could host a Winter tea instead or have a tea bar if you want it casual. You could even get creative and plan a game or activity to do during your time.

Hosting a tea party doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow my steps to host your very own party and not miss a thing!

Decide who to invite:

Will it be a small or large gathering? How many people can you accommodate in your home? Will it be friends, or family, or both? Inviting some new friends is great, but make sure you also invite some people who know each other so it will feel comfortable, and the conversations won’t die.

Send out invitations:

Once you know who you’re inviting, you can either send out paper invites or electronic ones. I prefer to use Evite (you can set up an account and pick a free invite template to use- there are tons of cute ones!), but you could also create and decorate your own paper invites and mail them out. Make sure you ask for RSVPs on your invites! As you plan out food and place settings, you will need to know how many people to expect. This is also a great place to state a dress code if you want one. I have never included a dress code on my invitations, but if you want a fancy “high tea” with everyone dressed up, you’ll probably want to list this to make sure everyone gets the memo. Other important things to include are the time, date, and location.

Plan a menu:

Next, you’ll want to plan the food. This will probably depend on what time you want your tea party to start. Hosting an afternoon tea? If so, you don’t need to plan out a meal. A few snacks will do. I personally prefer to start my tea in the late morning so we can enjoy a “luncheon” together.

Here are some sample menus for different meals:

Brunch:

Waffle bar with toppings

Fruit platter

Quiche

Yogurt

Breakfast sausages

Deviled eggs

Luncheon:

Tea sandwiches

Veggie platter

Fruit salad

Chocolate-dipped strawberries

Desserts: cupcakes, cookies, tarts, macarons, cream puffs, or anything you’d like!

Snacks:

Fruit platter

Veggie platter

Charcuterie board

Deviled eggs

Mini quiches

Desserts

These are just a few ideas. You could do some brainstorming and come up with even more options!

As you come up with your menu, portion it out and have each of your guests bring a dish also. This takes a huge load off preparations! If you choose to use Evite, there’s a “what to bring” list where you can add food items that your guests can sign up to bring. I love this feature because you can see who’s bringing what and know those dishes are taken care of. Remember to account for any guests that may have allergies or special dietary needs when you’re planning your food.

I made these Blackberry Earl Grey Cupcakes from Topped With Honey and they were absolutely delicious! Check out the recipe for your own tea party sweetness.

Select your teas:

You’ll also want to choose which teas to serve. There are many kinds, but you probably want to stick to the simpler ones since those will be most liked. Here are some good ones:

Black tea

Green tea

Rooibos

Mint

Fruit

Other herbals

Chai

It’s a good idea to have at least 2-3 different kinds of tea in case your friends don’t like one of them. If you have guests coming over that enjoy coffee or hot chocolate, you could even have an extra teapot of each of those if you wish.

Don’t forget to have water available for your guests. You could spruce it up by adding ice and mint leaves, cucumbers, or fruit. A pretty water pitcher or dispenser will work well.

Plan an activity or game:

You don’t have to do this, but it gets people engaged and participating in a common project. I love having a craft or activity for guests to work on, because it creates a fun environment where the ice is broken and conversations flourish. I’ve had many of my guests tell me that they loved the activities!

Here are some examples of games and activities to do:

Have a tea-tasting challenge

Decorate sugar cookies together (This is so fun! -Just have your cookies pre-baked and icing ready)

Play a light-hearted game like “Spill the Tea”, “Find Someone Who…”, or a trivia game

Build-your-own tea bags

Make dried flower sachets

Play tea-themed Pictionary

Do tea party coloring pages (this would be especially fun if you invite any little girls to your tea party)

Do a painting project together

I think it’s fun to do a project that guests can take home with them as a party favor.

At my last Valentine’s Tea Party, I trimmed down some watercolor paper for guests to paint their own “watercolor polaroids”. It was a hit, and very simple to set up! I already had painting supplies, so I just put out all the materials along with a couple examples for inspiration.

Decorate:

This is my favorite part! This is your chance to transform your space into exactly what you want. It could be whimsical and pink with hearts galore, or a moody and low-lit feel with candles and red roses. (P.S. If you struggle with being creative, Pinterest is wonderful for inspiration!) Depending on how you’d like to decorate, you can make homemade decorations or shop the dollar store and Michael’s for fun balloons, lanterns, tinsel garlands, etc.

Set the table:

Make sure you have enough teacups and seats for everyone. Don’t worry if the teacups aren’t all matching. I like to mix and match mine (several of which I thrifted), but if you have a large set of china, that works too. First put down a tablecloth, runner, or any table covering you want. The “tablecloths” I use are actually just cute curtains I thrifted.

At this point, you can add any extra decorations or centerpieces to the table that you want. Flowers, candles, garlands, you name it!

Next, you’ll need plates, napkins, and stirring spoons at each place setting. I use nice-looking paper plates and napkins, but you could use real plates and fabric napkins if you don’t mind the extra dishes and laundry. Then place the cream, sweeteners, and trivets for your teapots. Lastly, lay out the food and tea. Using themed dishes and elegant serving ware adds a lot to the look.

Here’s a checklist so you don’t forget anything:

Tablecloth or runner

Teacups

Stirring spoons

Plates

Napkins

Any centerpieces/decorations

Sweeteners and cream

Teapots and trivets

Food

Notes:

As you plan your Valentine’s tea party, make sure to prepare as much beforehand as possible, especially if you’re making it extra fancy. Trust me, you do not want to be running around last minute as you try to finish baking, decorating, table setting, and getting yourself ready! Prepare your food ahead of time and have the decorations and table settings done so you can enjoy your company as they arrive. You could also ask a couple friends or family members to come over early to help set up (I asked two of my good friends and they were so sweet to help me out and set the tables- aren’t they gorgeous?)

A couple other small tasks to tackle before guests arrive is taking out the trash, replacing old towels, and giving your bathroom a quick cleaning. These may seem insignificant, but having a smelly trash or a sopping hand towel can quickly throw off the mood. Don’t forget to sweep the porch for a welcome entrance too.

If you and your guests have husbands, fathers, or brothers that are missing out, encourage your guys to get together for some quality time too! They probably won’t care if they miss a tea party, but they might enjoy playing games or doing a workout session together.

Give it a try and comment your feedback!