What will you be doing on the Royal wedding Day?
A street party perhaps is a very traditional British way to celebrate such an event. I imagine bunting fluttering in the breeze with tea cups filled with white flowers, tied with blue ribbons. & Tea, that traditional, ceremony that connects and calms us. My hope is that this will be a memorable joyful celebration that unites the nation at a time when a little cheeriness is needed, and quite honestly I adore weddings……..there is such happiness, such hope and expectation of the possibility of what can be……..who know’s what Prince William’s & Kate Middleton’s story will be but apparently it all started with a cup of tea!
The Perfect Theme for a Royal Wedding Tea – Something Old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something Blue
Something Old
Well readers, there will no surprise that my something old for the perfect Royal wedding afternoon tea will be one of my favourite vintage tea cups. As a rather special friend reminded me, it is just so lovely to drink from a china tea cup – I am not sure why but somehow the tea tastes even better!
Vintage China Tea Cup - Something Old for the perfect Royal Wedding Afternoon Tea
Something New – Tea and a fabulous Emma Bridgewater Tea Towel
Quite simply, the only way forward for a perfect Royal afternoon Tea is with a new batch of leaf tea! To help with your preparations, I have chosen a couple of tea’s to choose from:
Twinings Royal Wedding Tea
Twinings master blenders have developed a wonderful, delicate White Earl Grey Tea with light flavours of rose petal. Twinings suggest it is best served without milk, and I agree! It is a bright, sparkling amber coloured tea that is just perfect for a Royal Wedding Tea Party, and almost irresistible in its beautiful blushing bride tea caddy – I’ll be rushing out to purchase!
Twinings Royal Wedding Tea
Henrietta Lovell’s Cloud Tea
Henrietta has personally sourced this from a little farm between Assam and Darjeeling- in her own words “it has the light floral aroma of a Darjeeling with a lovely malty Assam notes. Oh my goodness it goes well with cucumber sandwiches”. I love the inspiring name, very apt for a royal wedding afternoon tea, as I am sure we’ll all be hoping they both feel like they are on cloud nine!
Emma Bridgewater Tea Towels
Never let it be said that Tea with Mary Kate’s does not consider the practicalities for a perfect royal wedding afternoon tea. After all the celebrations, when there is that lovely satisfaction of having had a wonderful day, there is something quite special in the community of sharing the clearing up, so do make sure you have acquired at least one of these new gorgeous Tea towels from Emma Bridgewater for drying your vintage china.
Beautiful & practical - Emma Bridgewater Royal Wedding Tea Towel
Something Borrowed
I am going to borrow previous themes as idea’s to inspire the menu for a Royal Wedding afternoon tea:
After all, the happy couple will become the future Prince & Princess of Wales. This tea has gorgeous warm Welsh cakes just cooked off the griddle and Bara Brith spread thickly with butter, quite splendid!
Welsh Inspired Royal Wedding Afternoon Tea
Roses are synonymous with Weddings so this theme seemed very apt for a Royal wedding afternoon tea. Do lay the table with a vintage table cloth to complete the theme. In my imagination, there is chatter and the sound of teaspoons chinking on bone china. Harlequin sets are quite lovely, and you are feeling terribly generous, you could even give everyone their tea cups as a gift from the day.
Vintage tea cup - Idea & inspiration for a rose afternoon tea
A Quite Splendid Vintage Afternoon Tea
Royal Weddings are steeped in tradition so an Afternoon Tea menu with a vintage theme is another idea, decorated with ribbons and gorgeous fabrics. Alluring descriptions of the delights to come, including the tea to be sampled, add interest and create a talking point, although none is needed!
Vintage afternoon Tea menu
Inspiration for an Amazing Easter Afternoon Tea
As the Royal Wedding is so close to Easter this year, I thought I would include this Easter themed afternoon tea as well.
As a child, I remember my grandmother having a beautiful plate to serve the soft lettuce, and freshly cut bread onto which would be spread lashings of butter – it really did taste like nothing I have ever had since! Easter afternoon Tea is an indulgence, not only a feast for the appetite – stacks of gorgeous sandwiches, savouries, cakes and tea of course – it also a feast for the eyes – and there is a gift in its beautiful presentation, but the act of just doing it is all important.
Easter Afternoon Tea
Something Blue
Palest blue crockery based on Victorian patterns & designs, Asiatic Pheasant is a quintessentially English design and one of Burleigh China’s best selling patterns which has been in production for over 150 years. In Chinese culture the pheasant symbolises nobility, fortune & beauty which are attributes Burleigh associate with the happy couple.I adore the cow milk jug, it is just quintessesionally British & I would advocate an essential item to celebrate the wedding of Prince William & Catherine Middleton, together with the limited edition pieces
Palest Blue Burleigh china for Prince William & Kate Middletons Royal wedding afternoon tea celebration
A few final thoughts from Tea with Mary Kate……
The choice that sits on their young shoulders is of future responsibility as well as the privilege of being in a position to mould & create. Given their status, even with the “constraints” of being the future King and Queen of England, they have such opportunity for positive influence. The potential to change the way the world views issues and acts on them is within their grasp. Tea with Mary Kate’s hope is that Prince William & Kate Middleton have the bravery, the wisdom and inspiration to follow their hopes and dreams.
