6 Beautiful Afternoon Tea Party Ideas for Mother’s Day Brunch

Looking for ways to celebrate your Mom this year? Try hosting an afternoon tea party with some pretty flowers, vintage decor and dainty dishes. Here are 7 easy ways to host an afternoon tea party for Mother’s Day brunch.

I love a good tea party, don’t you?

Enjoying afternoon tea is something my family does year after year.

And there doesn’t need to be a special occasion for it either.

If we aren’t throwing a tea party, we head over to our favorite local tea shop, Sally Lunn’s, for the ambiance, fresh food, and incredible tea menus.

Mother’s Day can be a bit hectic at restaurants though, am I right?

Instead of the hustle and bustle of going out to dine for Mother’s Day, we are planning to enjoy afternoon tea here at the new house.

My girls and I decided to make a few delicious dishes, walk the new gardens, and just enjoy the day.

Would you like to throw an afternoon tea party for Mother’s Day brunch too?

And as a special treat, this post is being shared as part of my monthly dinner group where my friends and I all get together, pick a theme and share some inspiration.

So today, I’m sharing how to host afternoon tea together with some beautiful table decor and menu ideas.

If you are coming from Rachel’s from The Ponds Farmhouse, welcome to my home and our beautiful Mother’s Day brunch!

Wait until you see how gorgeous my centerpiece and this table turned out for this one!

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What is Afternoon Tea?

Afternoon tea, also known as “low tea,” was traditionally served in the mid-afternoon on low tables with a light menu that focused on finger sandwiches and scones.

You’ll typically see lots of lace, flowers, and dainty foods.

In the alternative, “high tea” was traditionally served on a high table shortly after 5 pm for working-class families where a hot meal, like meat or fish with some baked goods, was served.

They served lots of vegetables with heavy foods like casseroles and beans.

What is Included in an Afternoon Tea Party?

Throwing an afternoon tea party for Mother’s Day brunch is a beautiful way to celebrate the moms in your life.

Here’s what you need to know!

• Set a beautiful table with lots of linens, flowers, and levels of food (tiered trays or cake stands are great for this if you have them).
• Select a menu with light bites that include finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, herbed butter, and clotted cream.
• Choose a selection of teas like Earl Gray, English Breakfast, and Chamomile.
• And don’t forget the mood music, ambiance, and smiles.

7 Easy Ways to Decorate a Mother’s Day Brunch Table for Afternoon Tea

Now that we understand some of the elements of an afternoon tea party, let’s set the table.

Here’s how to do it!

Choose a Spring Color Palette

When choosing a spring color palette, seek inspiration from what’s happening outdoors.

So look to nature and pull colors that speak to you.

Because it is amazing how the colors outside can inspire what we do inside.

With spring flowers blooming outdoors, I chose a pretty pink, green, and gold color palette to pair with some of my vintage tea pieces.

Bring the Outdoors in For the Prettiest Spring Table

Nothing says Mother’s Day and a tea party quite like spring garden flowers. Am I right?

And setting a table that reflects the season includes bringing those outdoor elements to the table.

Look around your landscape and see what you can incorporate.

From tulips to peonies, roses to hydrangeas, there is much to bring indoors from nature.

And if you don’t have much in your landscape, head over to the market to find flowers and other organic elements that speak to you.

Make a Centerpiece for the Dining Table

And what better way to incorporate those elements with your table than in an amazing centerpiece.

So grab your favorite container such as an urn, basket, bucket, toolbox, or the like.

Whether you choose to work with real or faux flowers, use what you love and works for you in your tablescape.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I love to make centerpieces.

I make them for my everyday decor, the holidays, and just for fun.

Because I love to play with flowers, both real and faux.

Since we moved, I’ve been making more live centerpieces for my dining table.

Last month, I made THIS simple centerpiece using fresh-cut branches and daffodils from the garden.

This month, I hit the local market to make a beautiful pink and green arrangement for the table.

I found some beautiful roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, hydrangeas, and some pretty greens.

Doesn’t it look beautiful? I love the pink and green combination with all of the different shades of pink roses.

And the gold ice bucket I used as a vessel picks up the gold in my crystal chandelier.

To learn how to make a similar centerpiece, CLICK HERE.

Break Out Those Special Occasion Dishes

You know the dinnerware I’m talking about. That fine china you were gifted at your wedding or was passed down from a relative?

Break them out of storage and actually use them!

What’s the point of having these pretty belongings and never use because we are afraid to damage them?

I use my Lenox whenever I can when we entertain it’s neutral, beautiful and can be dressed up or down.

The only limits we have are ones we place on ourselves keeping us from using them because we think they are too special.

But every day and every occasion is special, so use the dishes!

Add Some Pretty Table Linens

I know it’s sometimes easier to use paper products so there is less clean-up, but break out the linens.

They look prettier and will help guests feel more special.

There are so many beautiful and inexpensive options out there too so there’s really no reason not use them.

Not to mention it will totally up your tablescaping game making Mother’s Day brunch feel more elegant and cozy.

Make an Afternoon Tea Brunch Menu

Although we are focusing on Mother’s Day brunch table decor in this post, the menu is just as important (we’ll be sharing it on Saturday)!

Choose dishes that include flavors of the season that are light bites such as finger sandwiches, quiches, muffins, and pastries.

Here are some of my afternoon tea party favorites:

• Refreshing Cucumber Sandwiches
• Zucchini Quiche
• Egg in Muffin Cups
• Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
• The Best Coffee Cake Recipe

Don’t Forget the Candles and Mood Music!

And last but not least, add lots of mood lighting – even in the daytime.

Nothing says cozy more than some dimly lit candles both on the table and around the room.

And for some added ambiance, include some beautiful instrumental music that is perfect for a tea party.

And that’s it! I hope you had fun at our afternoon tea party today and thanks for dropping by! Next up in our virtual dinner club is my good friend Michele from Vintage Home Designs.

More About Hosting Afternoon Tea

Do you enjoy afternoon tea too? Have you hosted one before or have any tips you’d like to share? I would love to know more in the comments below.

And don’t miss joining my Gardening DIY and Decorating Community on Facebook for more chatter. And follow along there and on Instagram as well. There are behind-the-scenes daily things that I share on Instagram that don’t make it to the blog. Would love to see you there too!

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Supper Club Mother’s Day Brunch Tea Party Theme

It’s that time of the month when my friends and I get together to share our favorite decorating, menu, and entertaining ideas.

This month we are sharing lots of Mother’s Day tea party brunch inspiration.

Wait until you see how gorgeous these brunch tables are!

Looking for More Supper Club Ideas?

Check out the themes we’ve hosted before.

• Galentine’s Day Brunch
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Spring Brunch
• Cinco De Mayo
• 4th of July
• Picnic Date
• Tailgating Party
• Fall Harvest Dinner Party
• Thanksgiving Dinner Party
• Christmas Dinner Party
• New Year’s Eve
• Cozy Winter Dinner
• Italian Dinner Party
• Easter Brunch

And if you are interested in starting a supper club of your own, CLICK HERE for my best tips.

Looking for More Spring Tablescape Ideas?

Be sure to check out these posts for more beautiful spring decorating inspiration.

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Thank you so much for following along.

Enjoy a beautiful day! xo