Wedding Celebration with "Tea" Theme

Crown Princess Margaret Rose

Recently I was asked for ideas about my friend daughter's wedding celebration.  In the limelight of the Royal wedding this Friday, here are several inspirations for the bride who loves tea:

1. arrange a Japanese or Chinese garden with gazebo for photo setting

2. at the start of wedding reception, the bride and groom serve tea (it's a Chinese custom) to the parents to express their appreciation (preferably on a raised head table for all guests to see, work out details at rehearsal dinner); this would likely be a moving experience for all to remember

3. if it's a Chinese banquet, a best man may give a simple instruction to the guests about tea courtesy ( tapping 1st and middle fingers on the table when tea is served) and proceed with a tea toast for the bride and groom

4. prepare miniature teapot filled with tea leaves as party favor for guests to bring home

Royal Tea



With Prince William and Kate's royal wedding on the horizon (April 29), tea becomes fashionable again.  I took the pictures above at a dinner gathering while the host was arranging serving pieces from his massive china collection (note those tea sets and cups on the side buffet tables against the Victorian pink wall).

Come think of it, one of my friend has mentioned to me a scholarly book  "A NECESSARY LUXURY: TEA IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND" during a recent conversation.  (She happens to know the book because it was written by her daughter!)  With tea's intrinsic allure,  even in our modern world, it conjures image of elegance, warmth and togetherness.  Tea serving provides shared cultural experience joyously at a dim sum house on weekends as well as soothingly in an England country home every afternoon.

More about joy of tea related to wedding in my next blog.