I am so excited that Miscy and I are organizing a formal High Tea at the Four Seasons in Midtown Atlanta. The date is Sunday, Jan 31st from 2-4 PM.The tea service starts promptly at 2 PM so plan on arriving early. The Park 75 lounge and Terrace is gorgeous and elegant. A wonderful opportunity to have a formal event like those New York Lolitas do! XQZT Lolita dress desired! The cost is $28.00 per person. The food selection is yummy! But I must give them a final count about 3 days in advance. We'll pay individually the day of the event.
I am also planning on having my photographer attend the event. He will take group and individual photos. I'll have a CD of all the photos to send out about a week after the event. All us girls need to do is socialize, drink tea, eat yummy treats and look pretty!
I did some research and found the following proper etiquette for fancy tea parties.
How to Properly Drink your TeaFirst and foremost never hold your cup with your pinkie finger extended. This is improper and in most social settings is considered rude. Place your index finger into the handle of the cup up to the knuckle while placing your thumb on the top of the handle to secure the cup. The bottom of the handle should then rest on your third finger. The fourth and fifth fingers should curve back towards your wrist.
At one time it was traditional to pour the milk into the cup before the tea. This was done to prevent the glaze on delicate tea cups from cracking. We do not have that problem today, so add the milk after the tea so that you can judge how much to use based on the color change.
When stirring your tea, be careful not to clink your spoon against the cup. Gently swish the spoon back and forth without touching the sides of the cup. When through stirring, remove the spoon and place it on the saucer behind the tea cup and to the right of the handle. Of course, never take a drink of your tea without removing the spoon first, and please never, ever sip from the spoon.
If seated at a table, do not lift the saucer (this is only proper if standing; then lift the saucer with the cup.) When you taking a sip of tea do not look around at the other guests, but lower your eyes so you can see what your doing and not spill your tea down the front of your blouse or dress.
When your cup is low try to avoid the temptation of swirling the tea in the cup. How embarrassing if some should happen to slosh onto the tablecloth and we all know how easily tea can stain.
Scones are a traditional part of a proper tea. Split the scone with a knife. Since the knife is now used, lay it gently on the side of your plate. Jam or curds is usually placed on the scone and then top off with a dollop of clotted cream. Simply spoon a small amount of jam or curds onto your plate, as well as some of the clotted cream. Spread the jam, curds, and clotted cream onto your scone. Never use the serving spoon for this task.
Be sure to take small bites, since attending a tea is a social occasion and you will want to participate in the conversation without always having a full mouth. Chew and swallow completely before taking a drink of tea, since it is hot and is not meant to wash the food down.
Each place setting should have a napkin. Sometimes it is placed on the tea plate and other times beside the plate. There are several layouts for the napkin. Buffet style teas often have the napkins stacked beside the silverware. Pick up the napkin unfold it and place it on your lap. If you must leave the table for any reason, simply lay the napkin in your chair and not on the table.
Never blot or wipe your lipstick with a linen or cloth napkin. Lipstick stains rarely come out in the wash.
Never, ever use your napkin as a handkerchief. Please excuse yourself from the table and go to the ladies room.
The hostess will signal the end of the tea by picking up her napkin. Everyone else will then pick up their napkin by the center and loosely lay to the left of their plate.
These are the basic rules and are not all that hard to remember and follow. If you want to practice your manners before hosting or attending a tea, simply have a cup of tea and a sandwich with a close friend. If you have children once in a while have a manners lunch in which everyone practices being proper. This can be a learning experience and lots of fun at the same time. Most important is to just be as polite and considerate as possible.
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