Everything on this shelf is for a royal tea party: the classic English blends, the teacup and saucer sets, and the china that make an afternoon tea at home feel like the real thing. Start with the tea you want in the pot, then work outward to the table.
Most people planning one of these are hosting a birthday, a bridal shower, a book club, or a mother and daughter afternoon, and they want it to look the part without losing the whole morning to setup.
Rose Garden is the blend guests ask me about at my English style parties, and Earl Grey is the one they expect to see. I serve both in sachets, so nobody is measuring leaves while the kettle goes cold.
How to choose
- ✓ The blend everyone expects: Earl Grey, black tea with bergamot, the one to pour first and the one that takes milk and sugar.
- ✓ The blend they ask about afterwards: Rose Garden, a delicate floral herbal with no caffeine.
- ✓ For guests who want something lighter than black tea: Lovely Lavender, caffeine free with hibiscus and butterfly pea, or Mint Green, a green blend with mint.
- ✓ To send the afternoon to someone else: the Tea Cup and Saucer Gift Set, a matching cup and saucer with four blends, a cookie, and sugar cubes.
- ✓ For one to four people at home: Simple Pleasures, twelve sachets in a keepsake box with your choice of a teacup and saucer or a tea time journal.
- ✓ For a table of eight: the Party Kit for 8 Guests, with place settings, teacups, saucers, and two three tier dessert stands.
- ✓ For real china without the washing up: Teacup and Tea China Rentals, delivered, collected, and washed by us.
Good to know
- ✓ Every tea here is loose leaf sealed in a sachet, so there is no infuser, no strainer, and no mess. Just add hot water.
- ✓ Earl Grey and Mint Green have caffeine. Rose Garden and Lovely Lavender do not.
- ✓ Teas, boxes, and gift sets ship from Cibolo, Texas. China rentals are delivered in the San Antonio area.
- ✓ These are my own blends and my own china, not licensed or official royal merchandise.
If your theme is the show rather than the palace, the Bridgerton style tea party shelf covers the watch party side. For the table itself, see tea party china rentals, and if you would rather someone else set it up and pour, that is what I do. For planning, read how to organize a tea party.
Pick the tea you would want in your own cup, and build the rest of the table around it.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a royal tea, an afternoon tea, and a high tea?
Afternoon tea is the light mid afternoon service of tea with finger sandwiches, scones, and cake. A royal tea is that same service with a glass of champagne or sherry added. High tea is a heavier early evening meal eaten at a dining table, which is why the two names get swapped so often.
Which teas should I serve at a royal tea party?
Serve one classic black and one floral. Earl Grey covers the classic, because bergamot is what most guests picture when they think of English tea, and Rose Garden covers the floral without caffeine. Add Lovely Lavender or Mint Green for anyone who wants something lighter.
Do I need matching china for a royal tea party?
No. Mismatched cups and saucers are traditional and they photograph beautifully. If you would rather have a matched set for the day, I rent teacups and tea china in the San Antonio area, deliver it, collect it afterwards, and wash every piece.
Do I need a teapot or a tea infuser?
No. Every blend on this page is loose leaf sealed inside a sachet, so you drop one into a cup or a pot and add hot water. A teapot is nice when you are serving a group, but nothing here requires one.
