the website of

Party Consultant Michelle Hylton

A Calendar of Tea Party Occasions

Written By: Michelle Hylton

Tea parties are not only for little girl's birthday parties and wedding showers, they can be planned year round in any month.  Tea parties are all about socializing.  So, view the list of below of tea party occasions and start planning your own tea party.

• January

  • After Holiday Tea Party - Sometimes we get so busy during December that we don't have time to sit down with all of our friends. While the men settle in to watch football on Sunday, the ladies can enjoy an afternoon of conversation and tea.

  • Skating Tea Party - Meet your friends at the local skating rink.  If it's an indoor facility they may have a room or tables you can reserve. For an outdoor rink, fill thermos with tea and bring along some skate shape cookies.  Have a mitten favor exchange by asking each guest to bring mittens filled with fun favors.

• February

  • Valentine Tea Party - Let your closest friends know how dear they are to you or plan a romantic tea party with your spouse.  Serve up heart shape sandwiches or cookies.  Use lots of pink and red and for a that romantic tea, add a little Victorian decor to the setting.

  • Bunco Tea Party - Mid winter is a great time for gathering with friends. The holidays are over and people have more time to socialize. Invite the ladies over for an afternoon game of Bunco and tea.

• March

  • Mad Hatter Tea Party - Have a little fun with creating some "mad" spring hats.  Choose to make hats a the party and supply guest with all the materials or ask guest to create and wear their unique creations to the party.  Have the "Maddest" hat contest.

  • Clover Tea Party - Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so serve up some green tea and shamrock shape cookies. 

• April

  • Earth Day Tea Party - Celebrate this day with a tea luncheon, provide guest with new garden gloves and have them all plant a small new spring flower or plant to take home.   

• May

  • Mom & Me Tea Party - Invite several of your and your daughters friends for a tea party   Ask guest to bring pictures of themselves to create a small Mom & Me scrapbook. Supply scrap booking materials and a small scrapbook for your guests.  Or have a fun jewelry session where Mom and daughter create matching bracelets and necklaces to wear. 

• June

  • Father & Daughter Tea - Now don't forget Dad, he may like some tea.  This is a great activity for organizations like the Girl Scouts. Prior to the occasion have young ladies write a poem about "What Makes Dad Special" and let them read it to him at the tea party. The girls may also want to act out a skit or sing for their fathers. 

  • Strawberry Tea Party - This is strawberry season, so make some strawberry tarts, summer flavor teas and have the ladies over for patio tea gathering.  

• July

  • Tea by the Pool Party - Serve up some ice-tea and invite your friends over to cool off by the pool!

  • Patriotic Tea Party - Red, white and blue is the theme color for this party. Make blueberry tarts, dip strawberries in white chocolate and serve up some tea or ice-tea. 

• August

  • End of Summer Tea Party - Summer's almost over, some areas are starting back to school, invite friends over for an end of summer tea party. 

• September

  • Back To School Tea Party - Organize a back to school tea for Moms in your neighborhood or find out the names of the Mom's in your child's classroom and invite them to a tea gathering. This is especially nice for new families that have moved into the area. 

  • Apple Tea Party - Invite a few friends to go apple picking, then head home for some apple pie or an apple crisp and some cinnamon tea.      

• October

  • Pink Tea Party - In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, hold a tea party, ask a guest speaker to come and talk about this topic or make this a fundraiser for the cause.    

• November

  • After Shopping Tea Party - Send out invitations early, and invite guest on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving for an after shopping tea party. Talk about the bargains you found.  Set up gift wrapping stations for guests who may want to wrap gifts before they get home.  Or show examples of how to uniquely wrap gifts, add toppers, etc.   

  • Feed A Family Tea Party - Find out from a local organization if there is a family in need in your area.  Invite guest to enjoy Tea and a brunch or lunch buffet and to bring food items for a Thanksgiving Dinner.  Cash donations can also be accepted to purchase a ham or turkey.  Maybe ask local businesses to help donate. Create a  large basket or several small baskets of goodies and decorate.  Arrange a time to bring the baskets to the family, take a photo of the presentation and send a copy of the picture back to your guests with your thank you's.  

• December

  • Tea Party Cookie Exchange - Organize a cookie exchange and gather the ladies for tea to taste the cookies, vote on the best and share some tea.  All go home with some wonderful treats!

  • Tea Party Ornament Exchange - I always love getting new ornaments each year.  An ornament exchange tea party is wonderful. You can even get a little more specific by specify a themed ornament exchange like Victorian ornaments, Santa Ornaments, Glass Ornaments, etc.   Each guest brings a wrapped ornament, based on the number participating numbers are written on a piece of paper, guest, draw a number to determine their order of picking.  Number one goes first and picks any ornament and opens it.  Continue on until everyone had an ornament.   Throw a twist into the exchange by allowing guest to choose to open a new ornament or take away an ornament already open from someone.  If your ornament gets taken away, you get to choose next, but cannot take your other ornament back.