Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea: The Perfect On-Trend Celebration

A bridal shower ready tea setting using a mixture of vintage bone china and linens alongside new make porcelain pieces.

Afternoon tea has emerged as the quintessential bridal shower theme for 2025, offering an elegant yet relaxed setting to celebrate a bride-to-be. This refined gathering strikes the perfect balance between formal and friendly, allowing meaningful conversations to flow alongside anecdotes, advice, and laughter. 

Keep reading for insights from a recent article published by Southern Living and how Pétale suggests incorporating these classic elements into an easy and beautiful Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea.

A recent article in Southern Living (my favorite magazine since I was ten) explored 7 Old Fashioned Entertaining Trends That Are Making A Comeback. In my house these “trends” never went out! Nonetheless, it warms my heart to imagine that people are entertaining in their own homes again. With a resurgence of interest in “Old Fashioned” entertaining, let’s explore how Southern Living’s seven trends can be re-interpreted to create a delightful Bridal Shower Tea Party.

1. Traditional (ie. Paper) Invitations - While I have been known to send out an electronic invite, you can bet your bottom dollar that all the best events warrant a paper invitation. What is more old fashioned than a stamp and an envelope? An Afternoon Tea hosted in honor of the bride-to-be is the perfect time to purchase paper invitations. A quick visit to your local stationary store (or a website like Etsy) reveals the variety of invitations available. Here are a few tips for the stationary-shy host or hostess

   1. Pick a theme. Choose something that either resonates with the couple OR that you wish for them. This could be reflected in the color scheme, style, or imagery depicted on the invitation. 

   2. Acquire helpers. A handwritten invitation is always special. If you are planning a large party, involve willing friends and family to help write, address, seal, and stamp the invitations. And while you're sealing those envelopes, may I suggest a digital visit B Goods Lettering for a healthy dose of romantic letter embellishments.

   3. Plus one (or two). When purchasing your invitations remember to include an additional invitation or two in your count. Firstly, mistakes happen. Having a spare invitation on hand can save the day. Secondly, address one invitation to the newlyweds and give it to them at the end of the event as a sweet keepsake. What could be sweeter?

      
      

2. The “good” silver - Tea time and the “good silver” have always been fast friends. (You can thank the Victorians. Learn more about other Victorian contributions to teatime in Pétale’s blog “A TREATise on Cake…”). The good news is that at tea time you probably only need 2-3 pieces of your best flatware. This means less to polish and less to wash. Here are the pieces you may need for your Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea

   1. Teaspoon - If you are serving tea, a spoon is essential. Teaspoons are smaller than soup spoons with a slightly more tapered bowl. Silver-plated pieces are easy to find in antique shops and vintage stores for just a few dollars each. Sterling pieces are heirloom quality and may be harder to come by (but they make the perfect gift). Both will require a little polish and a wash in warm soapy water before the party.

   2. Dessert fork or cake fork - Planning to serve cake? A tea cake (baked in a loaf pan) can be served in slices and eaten with your fingers provided it isn’t too sticky or crumbly. Most cakes with cream fillings, buttercream, or pieces of fresh fruit is best served with a fork (cupcakes being the exception). If you plan to cut and serve a celebratory cake be sure to provide your guests with a dessert fork, cake fork, or (in a pinch) a salad fork. Dinner forks should not be used. 

   3. Butter knives or spreaders - If you serve scones, blunt butter knives or spreaders should be set at each place setting. They go to the right of the plate. Scones are never “cut” with a knife as they should split open nicely between your hands. The knife is used to liberally spread butter, clotted cream, and jam on your scone. 

      
      

3. Linens maketh the meal - A tea table should always be dressed with a table pad and a tablecloth. Although many hotels and tea rooms choose a simple plain white linen or cotton tablecloth, a Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea calls for a little more color and whimsy. After all, it is a celebration! At the very least, plan to have a tablecloth, table pad (if available), and napkins for your guests. 

   1. Table pads are easily purchased online. They protect your table from spills and also “dampen” the sound of noisy silverware and china. Often, they are purchased in big pieces and are easily cut to size with household scissors.

   2. Tablecloths - choose something that suits the theme of your event and compliments your china. Avoid synthetic fibers if possible. Layer tablecloths and runners to add extra interest to the table. A vintage lace tablecloth looks pretty over a solid color while a long white tablecloth can be dressed up with a shorter patterned cloth laid overtop. 

   3. Napkins - A dinner napkin should not be used at tea time if at all possible. Tea napkins are petite (around 10”-12”). Ironing the napkins is non-negotiable. In this, Southern Living and I must agree to disagree. Try to avoid using napkin rings (unless they are critical to your theme). Instead, place the ironed and folded napkin on the plate or fold it in a triangle and set it to the left of the plate. While the bow-through-teacup-handle trend still exists in 2025 it will result in a fidgety, creased napkin when unfolded. A well ironed napkin sits better on the lap; feels more luxurious on your dainty lips, and is less likely to fall onto the floor.

      
      

4. Using your best china - Tea time is the perfect time to use your best china. A small salad plate (or bread plate if no other is available) is perfect for sandwiches, scones, and cookies. Avoid using dinner plates as they will dwarf the petite fare traditionally served at tea time. If you don’t have your own china dinner service here are a few tips for sourcing what you will need for your Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea

   1. Mix and match - Feel free to mix china services so long as they share some quality or characteristic. For Pétale’s “Picnic Set” I mixed three modern patterns from the same manufacturer in similar colors. Although the settings are different they share similar colors and shapes which allow them to be used together to give the table a refined but eclectic look. 

   2. Call Granny - If you don’t have your own china, speak to the couple’s parents and see if there is a tea service in the family that you can borrow for the Bridal Shower. Using a family heirloom makes the event even more personal and gives extended family members a chance to be a part of the party planning too.

      
      

5. Cooking up conversation with a menu card - Simple handwritten or printed menu cards can be a lovely addition to the tea table. They also naturally give guests something to talk about. The first time meeting of different friend groups and families at a Bridal Shower can be stressful and, let’s just say it, sometimes even awkward. A pretty menu is a simple conversation starter. At a recent event a guest told me how thrilled she was to see that I was serving Darjeeling tea because it reminded her of a visit a friend's tea plantation in India. Her comment about the beauty of the Darjeeling region gave rise to a wonderful conversation around food and travel that kept got the whole table chatting for some time.

   
   

6. To use place cards, or not to use them... - I love a good DIY. While place cards are not traditionally used at tea time they are not strictly forbidden. If your party is large enough (6+ guests) you may choose to use them. Pro tip: The host and hostess never get a place card at their setting. Here are a few alternatives to a traditional place card that are perfect for a Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea

   1. Use a favor instead - A pretty party favor is a simple and charming way to make guests feel welcome (and let them know where they will be sitting). At Pétale we often use hand-decorated sugar cookies from a local cookie artist as a lovely takeaway favor. Other ideas include a small jar of local honey or a tin of whatever tea you plan to serve. Tie a small piece of ribbon to the favor to attach a little name tag and you’ve got a charming favor that doubles as a place card. 

   2. Say it with tea - My father-in-law had a knack for coming up with “false names” for his place cards. He would choose famous musicians, actors, or even famous paintings to represent each of his guests. Before sitting down everyone had to figure out where they were supposed to sit according to the names on the cards. It was a quick way to strike up conversation between dinner guests. A twist on my father-in-law’s tradition would be to put a famous tea or tea drink on the place card. For example, “Chamomile” for the friend who never cracks under pressure and always stays calm or “Boba Tea” for that silly cousin who is always making people laugh.

      
      

7. Garden Talk - Tea and flowers are a classic pairing (especially if your Bridal Shower is happening this Spring or Summer). I love Southern Living's suggestion to incorporate flowers from your own garden when entertaining at home. However, a centerpiece can be difficult to work onto the table at tea time. Tiered cake stands often take center stage at Afternoon Tea making space scarce. For Pétale's larger events, I like to create a vignette using bud vases of various heights. You can find vases at thrift stores or purchase them online. Whether you have a robust cutting garden, simple lavender hedge, or just a few pretty zinnias in pots on your patio, bud vases allow you to make a statement with very few flowers. Plus, arranging them is simple! You can usually fit between 2-3 flower stems per vase. Choose wispy textural flowers for a look that is whimsical and light or brightly colored flowers with thicker stems for a bold but minimalist table.

And there you have it. Southern Living's 7 "Old Fashioned Entertaining Trends That Are Making a Comeback" re-imagined for a Bridal Shower Afternoon Tea.

Which of these "trends" would you be willing to try? Leave a comment below and share your favorite tip for hosting the perfect elegant but relaxed gathering in your home!