How Do You Set A Table For A Tea Party

Ways to create the perfect tea party table setting:
1 – The perfect plate size
Tea parties are a beautiful tradition that revolves around light refreshments and a beautiful table setting. So when choosing the best plates, we recommend opting for luncheon plates or salad plates. These plates are just the right size for the smaller portions you might be serving, such as tea sandwiches, scones. Not only are these plates just the right size, but their slightly smaller diameter also makes the table look more delicate – adding a touch of elegance. Such a lovely visual will make your guests feel like they are being treated like royalty.

2 – The placement of teacups
When setting the table for a tea party, it is important to pay attention to the correct orientation of the teacups. Generally speaking, teacups should be placed to the right of the cutlery, above the knife and spoon.

3 – Pay attention to the small details
For special occasions, paying attention to the small details can make a big difference.
One such detail is the placement of the teacup handle. By convention (or perhaps because there are more right-handed people than left-handed people), the handle of the teacup should be facing outwards, i.e. pointing to the right. Another important detail is the placement of the knife. The blade should be facing inwards, pointing towards the plate.
We recommend making sure each place setting is exactly the same, otherwise it can look messy!

4 – Tea Party Table Decorations
A vase of fresh flowers always looks beautiful in the center of the table. You can also use other decorations, such as small tea lights or candles, to add a lovely touch to the party table.

5 – Napkins for Place Setting
Paper napkins are convenient, but I'm afraid they are not elegant enough. To give your guests the best experience, it's important to use cloth napkins. Try to find lunch-sized (about nine inches square) napkins instead of dinner-sized (twelve inches square) napkins.
There are a variety of ways to place napkins. You can use a napkin ring to secure a folded or rolled napkin, or fold the napkin into a decorative shape. Either way, the napkin will be placed to the left of the place setting. So the plate will be in the middle, the fork will be to the left of the plate, and the napkin will be to the left of the fork.
Alternatively, the napkin can be placed on the plate. If you are going to place the napkin in the middle of the plate, it is usually folded beautifully.

6 – A Subtle Touch
If you use a standard-sized butter knife, rather than a smaller butter spreader, you may want to consider using a knife holder. Knife holders are a lovely addition to a tea party table because they can be sophisticated and elegant – and one of those 'fine details' we talked about in tip 3. In most homes, they are not something you would use or even see every day! That's what makes using a knife holder special and adds to the tea party occasion and experience.

7 – Apply a standard table setting
We recommend using only the necessary cutlery, as this is not a complete sit-down dinner experience. A tea party table setting should follow the traditional conventions of cutlery placement. That is: forks to the left of plates, spoons to the right of plates – and then knives to the right of spoons. If you use knife holders, they are not used when the table is initially set.
We recommend offering guests water, and water glasses should be placed slightly to the right of centre, just above the knives. Traditionally, in a formal afternoon tea setting, water glasses should be placed to the right of tea cups.

8 – The most special detail of a tea party
It is a really lovely and practical gesture to have a place card for each place setting. Place cards do more than just tell guests where they should sit. It is highly personalized and shows that you as a hostess value them as individuals, rather than blindly serving everyone as a group.