The New Micro Event Trend: A Modern Tea Party

I love entertaining and hosting guests at my home – but in 2020 entertaining has looked quite different. I’ve been finding new, creative ways to entertain in the past few months, transitioning from only “hosting” my immediate family of 5, to kicking off our beloved Grandma Dinners again just a few weeks ago.

I am now getting creative to embrace the micro event trend of small group gatherings in a socially responsible way at home. Recently, I hosted a small group of girlfriends for a micro event: a modern day tea party. We had a lovely day outside – with a table set for 6 to enjoy each other’s company at a safe social distance.

This small group enjoyed time on my back patio complete with an array of light appetizer options, and a make-your-own tea bar. My guests really enjoyed the day.

Here are the steps I took to create this at-home micro event for my friends.

Guest List

Micro events focus on a very small guest list – this allows you to concentrate on each guest – I had 6 total for my modern tea party. Another bonus – this number allowed me to use some vintage finds to mix in with my modern dishes.

Table Decor

Lucky enough to have a fabulous party rental supply in my area, I contacted Event Rents for the table decor. They consistently have the highest quality rentals and best selection I have seen, which is why I go back to them time and time again. The result was better than I could have ever imagined – I love how this table turned out and it may be one of my favorites to date.

personalized chairs — Can we even talk about these amazing chairs?? They have a clear acrylic center so that you can personalize each one! These vinyl decal names were from Etsy – they simply peeled off when I was done!

Shop the Tabletop here:

tea party table — For the place setting, I selected iridescent chargers with matte white dishes – I loved the contrast between the glamorous charger plate and understated dinnerware.

blue tablecloth — An icy blue velvet tablecloth was the foundation for my table – so rich and luxurious, but also so versatile. It works for my modern tea party table here, but could fit in perfectly with a baby shower, bridal shower, birthday, Mother’s Day, and even Easter!

Vintage glass tea bag holders in a tea pot shape were such a find! I walked into a local store, Chestnut at The Vintage, that carries antiques and the owner graciously pulled them from a recent shipment when she found out I was throwing a modern tea party, but wanted some vintage touches. I found gourmet sugar cubes for my guests to sweeten their tea if needed!

Florals

airy floral arrangement — Wild, airy and ethereal was the look I wanted for my modern tea party table centerpiece – I love how this arrangement turned out!

For this party, I wanted an airy, ethereal look, so I enlisted the help of a talented local florist, Array Design, to create my vision. She delivered exactly what I wanted, and it couldn’t have been more perfect for my round table centerpiece.

blush wedding centerpiece — Freshening up the centerpiece before my small group of guests arrive . . .

Tea Bar

In order to create a truly modern tea party, I wanted this to be interactive for my guests. That’s why I came up with a idea of a tea bar, where everyone was free to make their own mix of what they liked! This part of my modern tea party started in my garden.

Wanting my guests to feel a part of the process, I gave everyone a mesh tea ball infuser and had an assortment of loose tea in bowls so that everyone could make their own blend.

Every guest got their own mesh tea infuser so they could create their own customized blend!

Shop tea party supplies here:

Bonsai clippers allowed fresh herb sprigs from the garden to be added to the tea mix.

Light Bites

A party wouldn’t be a party without food, but no old, stale sandwiches would do at my modern tea party. I designed a menu that skipped the bready fare and focused on lighter, healthier, options.