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Valentine’s Day High Tea Party

Valentine’s Day is coming up and what a better way to celebrate it than with a high tea party.
Valentine's Day High Tea Party/French dining room - So Much Better With Age

I LOVE high tea! There was a time just before I had kids where I would go to for high tea place almost every month with girlfriends. It’s the most perfect way to catch up with friends while drinking tea and eating scones with pretty china.

Today I’m taking part in another Styled + Set entertaining tour hosted by my friend Lory of Designthusiasm. If you are coming here from Kelly’s house of My Soulful Home, welcome! Be sure to visit the other tours at the end of this post.

My boyfriend Aaron loves high tea too and over the Christmas holidays we had a three-day mini vacation to Victoria and stayed at the Empress Hotel and had high tea there. The hotel is one of the oldest hotels in the city right next to the Parliament buildings and is famous for their high tea.

Valentine's Day High Tea Party/ Jamie and Aaron - So Much Better With Age

SEtting the table

First I set my table with this tablecloth I made. The tutorial for this tablecloth is in my book, French Vintage Decor.

I set the table with tea cups and saucers, side plates, bread knives and teapots. Usually each person has their own teapot but I have two teapots so I made two different types of tea.

My favorite type of tea is a loose leaf creamy earl grey tea so I made that in one pot and the other tea can be any other tea you think your guests will like.

Keep boiling water in the kettle to refresh the teapots.

This centrepiece I made using a tall cloche, six teacups and saucers and some roses. I love how it turned out!

I just recently bought this French glass cloche from Restoration Hardware. Don’t let the size fool you, it’s a small on the website!

I draped large prayer beads lengthwise along the middle of the table and put the centrepiece, vase of flowers and tiered tray in between the beads. I have a large collection of teacups so I also cut some roses and added them to some teacups for some mini bouquets.

high tea food

When you have high tea in a restaurant, a tiered tray comes out with the following foods:

First Plate:

  • scones on one plate (along with jam and devonshire/clotted cream)

Second Plate:

  • savoury items such as
  • cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches
  • mini croissants turkey or similar sandwiches
  • mini quiches
  • mini egg salad sandwich rolls

Third plate:

  • sweet items such as
  • lemon tarts
  • mousse cups
  • cookies
  • mini cakes
  • brownies or bars

There is usually one tiered tray for 2-3 people and each person gets one scone and usually one or two of everything else.

It’s nice to have an assortment of sugars on hand and honey along with milk served in pretty containers.

The best way to eat your scone is to cut it in half and spread the clotted cream on first then strawberry (or similar) jam on top. There is nothing better!

Usually I am so full at this point that I can’t make it to the next tier. High tea is deceiving. Come hungry and make your reservation for 12 noon for lunch!

Valentine's Day High Tea Party/tea and scones - So Much Better With Age

Be sure to print off the Empress Hotel tea scone recipe here!

Now be sure to visit Jennifer from Celebrating Everyday Life.

Make sure to pin it for later!

Valentine's Day High Tea Party graphic - So Much Better With Age

click in case you missed:

Empress Tea Scone Recipe

Pretty Pink Roses Valentine’s Day Table

Monday’s Posts

Valentine's Day Styled + Set

Shabbyfufu | Town and Country Living | My Soulful Home | So Much Better With Age
Celebrating Everyday Life  | Maison de Pax | Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Tuesday’s Posts

Valentine's Day Styled + Set

Designthusiasm | Maison de Cinq | French Garden House
Life on Virginia Street | Julie Blanner | Setting for Four | Decor Gold Designs

Wednesday’s Posts

Valentine's Day Styled + Set

Bless’er House | CitrineLiving | StoneGable | On Sutton Place
Taryn Whiteaker | Zevy Joy | French Country CottageSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

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45 Comments

  1. Having my favorite tea and scones, and then tea cups and roses, what a cute center piece. Just right for a pretty Tea.

  2. My, your cloche is SO BIG! Love it Jamie & the way you styled it and the table is fabulous! Loved seeing the photo of you and Aaron too! Pinned and noted the high tea suggestions. Yum!

  3. Oh my Jamie what elegance … You did a beautiful table and I love the tablecloth Thank you for inspiration

  4. Love your table! The cloth is dreamy! Makes me want to have a tea party! Oh, and your boyfriend is really cute! He looks sweet and kind!😄
    Blessings

  5. Jamie this is soooo cute! Like you, I love high tea and also used to go frequently with girlfriends (no more of that, that’s for sure!) But I love the idea of doing it at home. And your centerpiece is so beautiful! I love the vintage china and as always, your style is perfection!

    Sheila
    xo

  6. I too have been fortunate to enjoy tea at the Empress – it is the ultimate experience! It was a chilly November day when I was there and we managed to get the table right in front of the fireplace…DELISH! Your high tea is beautiful – love the centerpiece idea! And the tablecloth is perfect, so light and evocative of the setting. i’m going to download the recipe for sure. Oh and by the way Jamie, my prize package arrived today and I can hardly wait to get going on some projects! Thank you so much. Here’s to a great cuppa!

    Wendi

  7. I love a good tea party and have been interested in what to serve since I first had afternoon tea at Elmwood Inn in Harrodsburg, Ky. They no longer serve tea but hold classes to educate people on the variety of teas. I did want to mention that there is a difference between High Tea and Low Tea or Afternoon Tea which is lighter than the previous. High Tea was historically served after 5:00 pm and served as the meal. You can read more about it at https://www.thespruce.com/high-tea-vs-afternoon-tea-765832. Keep having fun!

  8. Beautiful table? Great tea party tips too. Love that centerpiece…. I am certain I would have knocked it over! Earl grey is one of my favorites! Yum!

  9. Wow Wow & WOW!!!!
    This is far far the most amazing tea party I have ever seen…this is real right?
    Good job and thanks for bringing this to us in beautiful pictures. Just wondering how much would it take in effort and thought to make this happen.
    With love from OZ – Mel

  10. I saw photos of you setting this up and the lighting was going!! What a beautiful display! I hosted a tea party baby shower last year and I want to have one when I host Bunco this year. But oh such fun to have a few friends over for a small tea close to Valentines Day! I love ❤️ the RH cloche as it’s perfect for the teacups. I like the roses tucked around too. How fun!!

  11. Teacups and roses are my favourite… add in a cloche as well and my heart is swooning.
    Totally adore this Valentines High Tea Jamie. Thank you for sharing it at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring your High Tea at tomorrow’s party and pinning too.
    Hugs,
    Kerryanne

  12. Hi Jamie! Love your tablesetting and I know I saw your post recently and thought I had left a comment but I guess I didn’t get back by ~ so happy that you posted it to Share Your Style #194 this last week!!! Now I get to come over for sure. <3 Love the cloche tower of teacups ~ so ethereal!

    Thanks again for sharing,
    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

  13. Lovely, as always, Jamie. I especially love the stacked tea cups under the cloche and the gauze-y table cloth! Also, I agree… no better way to eat a scone! 😉 (Would love to have you link-up over at Homestyle Gathering by way of My Wee Abode, if you have a minute! 😉 )

  14. Lovely table! Looking forward to doing a Valentine’s Tea at a local Rehab and Nursing Home next week. This gets me motivated with ideas!

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