February hosts one of the most lovely days on the calendar, Valentine’s Day.
It’s a day to celebrate warm feelings for friends, family, significant others, and more. Whether your get-together is a romantic “for two” event or a Galentine’s group gathering, a Valentine’s Day tea party is just the ticket to surround your guests with the swirling romance of affection.
Setting the Scene
From hearts and flowers to stars and glitter, there are many ways to make your Valentine’s tea party table a magical place for your guests.
I like to use conversation hearts (yes, the yummy, sugary candies) for table decorations, scattered among the settings. Place the ones with special messages for specific friends on their plate or near their teacup.
A flower bouquet from your local market can be divided among different sized and shaped vases to create a lovely table landscape. Or, clip some greenery from the out-of-doors and bundle them into individual bouquets to set near each teaspoon.
Vases aren’t the only container that will hold a pretty arrangement of flowers. Teapots, cones, pitchers, and more can provide a vessel for your table bouquets. You can even use these creative ideas to make take-home pretties for your friends. Check out this article for more inspiration on using alternative vessels for flowers.
All shades of red and pink can make your table romantic for two (or more) people. If you have some colored paper at home, you can easily make your own table decor by cutting out heart shapes to use as handmade confetti.
Not a fan of reds and pinks? Not to worry! Celebrate all the colors you love at your Valentine’s day tea party with spring pastels, bright primaries, or even a monochromatic scheme—something that brings joy to your soul when you see it.
Treats to Love
Sweets for your sweets are on the menu for this Valentine’s tea party. In my neighborhood, there’s a fantastic cafe that sells locally made macarons in all sorts of gorgeous colors. Delightfully dainty, a macaron is composed of two slightly crispy, perfectly-shaped round meringue-based layers, typically made with almond flour. Smooth, flavored icing is sandwiched in the center.
Cookies, candy, and chocolate of all kinds provide a variety of treats for your special someone and can be used for table decor as well as to tantalize the taste buds. I couldn’t resist the pink frosting and sprinkle-covered sugar cookies from my local market. A Valentine’s Day tea party is just the time to splurge on the treats you usually pass by when you shop, and think, “Someday, I’ll get those…”
If you have a tame sweet tooth and would prefer to serve something savory to your guests, try this on for size. Hearty Vegan Stuffed Shells is a savory pasta dish that never fails to comfort and nourish, and these tempting tasties are just the ticket for a satisfying main dish.
The shells are filled with a rich blend of lentils, caramelized onions, roasted bell pepper, broccoli, garlic, and just a hint of cumin, then baked in a homemade roasted garlic tomato sauce.
Cuppa Cuppa Love
When you are ready to pour some tea at your Valentine’s day tea party, look no further than the perfectly blended Portland Rose City Chai.
This is a blend of rose and almond chai, inspired by the hometown of Plum Deluxe—Portland, Oregon. Packed with Oregon rose petals, almonds, spices, lemongrass, black tea, and hints of blackberry, you’ll enjoy the fresh flavors of the Rose City in your cup. This is a beautifully blended and unique tea that will put a smile on everyone’s face.
Another delicious choice for a romantic for two tea table is the Peach Bellini herbal tea.
This delicious and fruity peach bellini tea coaxes its sippers to slow down, smile, and relax into the moment. Peach herbal tea is complemented by piles of fresh fruit pieces, such as strawberry, mango, papaya, apricot, pineapple, and of course, peach. Blended together for a refreshing treat, you’ll enjoy this tea hot or iced.
Playful Tokens
Let’s remember to treat your guests to some fun at your Valentine’s day tea party!
For example, you might try the Tea Tray Memory game with your friends. To set it up, before your party begins, select a tray or platter and organize on it a number of different items, small or large, tea-related or random. Make one of the items on the tray the prize for this game.
To play, bring out the tray of items and let your guests look it over for about a minute. Then take the tray away and ask everyone to write down all of the items they remember (provide your friends with pen and paper). The person who has the most correct answers wins the main prize on the tray.
Or, you could play a tea party Boggle-type word find game. Give your guests a phrase to work with, such as “Valentine’s Day Tea Party”. Then, ask your guests to create as many words as they can from the letters in that phrase. Set the timer for one minute and let the mind-boggling word-finding begin. For more ideas on tea party games, check out this helpful article.
There’s never a better time than the present to remind your closest people, “You’re my cup of tea.” So, celebrate your loves, likes, and affections with a Valentine’s tea party. In the meantime, enjoy your many tea adventures and I’ll see you back here next time!