Serve up an elegant graduation tea party complete with old style tea sandwiches, canapé, classical music, and amusing treats like tassel pasta and edible diplomas.
A Graduation Tea Party should be a short sweet and elegant affair where many guests are invited. It is one of the few tea parties where it is quite common to have as many to thirty guests to hundred guests at one time. Of course all of this depends on the number of guests that you want to invite at one time.
As graduation tea parties are quite large in number, it is usual to serve mostly sandwiches to save on mess and preparation time. A soup and Jell-O salads are also served to round out the meal a bit.
For this tea party you will be serving three types of teas
English Breakfast Tea: ironically a Scottish professor who presented the blend to Queen Victoria developed this tea. It is a blend of black teas including Keemun tea.
Earl Grey Tea – This is a very famous English black tea with a heavy bergamot scent (a citrus fruit) that first became popular during the 1830 (during King William’s reign.)
Caravan Tea – This is a heavy dark sweet tea that is often served with a teaspoon or two of honey. jam. Caravan has its origins in imperial Russia, getting its name from the camel caravans that brought the tea (usually a blend of Chinese and Indian black teas) overland.
A cute idea for the invitation would be to give it a tassel just like a graduation cap. Remember to include the menu on the invitation:
English Breakfast Tea
Earl Grey Tea
Caravan Tea
Endive With Tomato Rosettes
Lemon Pineapple Dessert Mold
Bean and Sausage Soup
Champagne Melon with Smoked Trout
Cucumber-Watercress Tea Sandwiches
Curried Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
Brie Pear and Walnut Sandwiches
Edible Diplomas
Cream and Currant Tea Scones
Date Bread
Blondies
Maple Blueberry Mousse
Tassel Pasta
On the invitation ask you guests to dress casually but formally. Make it clear that classic music will be on the menu as well as several classic games of strategy and skill – poker, chess, checkers and croquet in the back yard. Winners of these games can expect to receive small party favors such as tiny silver picture frames, pens and bookmarks
The design theme for this party should be black and white to match the formality of the occasion of graduation. A nice touch is to display photographs of all of the other graduates in the family on the walls and pictures from old yearbooks. One contest that could be held is “worst year book “ photograph for which the winner wins some kind of booby prize.
As this party is very grown up, you should use your very best silver tea service and crystal bowls. Square black and white plates also add an interesting touch to a staid looking table. White Oxford China with your laciest white tablecloths would be best.
If you like you could also attempt to make an ice sculpture of your school’s mascot or have on ordered up professionally. You can also give this type of party of personal touch by offering napkins or souvenir matchbooks engraved with a favorite saying or a motto.