How to Host a Princess Tea Party

For many young ladies having a princess tea party would be the perfect way to spend a day with girlfriends feeling like royalty. Your princess tea party can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish; all you need are a few basic instructions to help you create a tea party fit for a royal crowd. With a little planning and preparation, your guests will have a royally grand time.

1. Determine the guest list. Keep in mind that the rule of thumb is that half to two-thirds of the guests invited will actually be able to attend your event. Since all of the children will be sitting down for the tea party, you will need to take into consideration how many tables and chairs you have available when determining your guest list.
2. Create an invitation. Your invitations can be as simple as sending an e-mail invite to each guest via an electronic invitation website or as elaborate as having the invitations custom printed and mailed to each child. Kids love to get mail, so it might be extra fun for them to receive a princess tea party invitation in the mail. Make sure to tell all of your guests to dress in royal attire.
3. Decide on the menu. Consider keeping things light and bite sized for the tea party. Tea sandwiches are a must and are always served with the crusts cut off. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cheese sandwiches are usually a good choice for young children. Offer some fruit and some mini muffins to eat as well. For dessert, serve mini dessert cookies or pies, or you can opt for the more traditional petit fours. Don’t forget the tea. Since most kids don’t care for tea, pink lemonade is an acceptable alternative.
4. Decorations add drama. After you arrange your tables and chairs, top the tables with colorful table cloths. Place a small centerpiece, such as a petite vase with a single flower, on the table and then place small plates and tea cups at each setting. The princesses will want to act grown up so if you can use real tea cups and glass plates they will forever be indebted.
5. When each princess enters the room, be sure to announce her. You may also wish to have dress up accessories ready for the princesses to add to their attire. Princess tiaras, costume jewelry, and white gloves work well in replicating a truly royal afternoon tea session.
6. Have wait staff ready to serve your child’s guests. Once everyone has arrived, encourage the guests to take their seats and, in true princess fashion, serve the guests at the table. This is a great time to utilize dad, brothers, or uncles as the wait staff.
7. Don’t forget the details. Since the royals are dressing for the occasion and having a fine dining experience, make sure that each princess has a napkin for her lap.
8. Immortalize the afternoon with photos. Once all the princesses are done dining move on to the photo opportunity. They’ll love having a photo shoot, and the photos will serve as treasured memories of the experience.
9. Make the photo shoot authentic. Create a backdrop with a king sized sheet and some duct tape. Solid colors work best for the backdrop. Make sure that you have steamed the wrinkles out of the sheet before the party. Now you have a perfect back drop for the princesses to pose for their royal portraits.
10. After picture time, gather everyone for a few games. Tie in the princess theme and play games like pass the glass slipper or freeze dance to the songs on popular princess movie soundtracks.
11. Give everyone a goodbye gift fit for a princess. Send everyone home with a real tea cup and saucer in a pretty little box. If you want, you can fill the cup with some candy.

Princess tea parties provide an opportunity for adults to enter the fantasy world of the children around them, and for children to feel as though they are grownups for a day. Enjoy creating this royal experience for your little girl and her friends, and let her revel in dressing up and hosting a royal party.

Taken From Nanny