The Tea Journey Continues… Private Teas

Donating for Charity

Donating my teas for charitable organizations started several years ago with donating a private tea for eight as a raffle prize at one of our Victorian Tea Society teas.  Now I donate private teas to four different organizations each year as raffle or silent auction prizes.  These teas are scheduled on a mutually agreeable date.  Depending on the weather, these teas can be inside or outside with 6-8 guests.  I do these teas by myself as these are comparatively easy.  Many of these same guests come back to our Christmas Tea and some have even scheduled additional private teas (and paid for them) for special occasions. 

The process

I use tried and true recipes for these teas and only prepare three desserts (instead of five).  I serve a salad at these private teas (no soup) as this is super easy.  In addition, a champagne toast is always part of the menu for these teas.  Guests always feel pampered and express how much they enjoyed the time, food and venue.  Guests are able to linger longer and enjoy each other and the day.  I usually have almost all the clean-up and dishes washed before they depart! 

In addition to meeting new people, I delight in creating the tablescapes for these teas.  I try to use what I have on hand for the tables.  This is also where I discovered that putting a bunch of parsley in a teapot and adding a few flowers makes for a lovely centerpiece.

Can’t help this…another Lauren moment