How To Host A DIY Afternoon Tea Hen Party
Afternoon tea is the best-value hen party idea going: a venue charges £35 a head for sandwiches you can make on Friday night for under £8. The bit that makes it feel like an event is the table, not the food.
Here's the menu, the quantities, the tablescape and the timings.
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Table decor for the tea table
Table confetti, cake toppers and bunting that suit a floral, pastel tablescape without shouting about it.
The classic menu, and how much to make
- Sandwiches: four finger sandwiches per person, crusts off, three fillings - cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese, coronation chicken or egg and cress.
- Scones: one and a half per person. Always make more scones than you think; they're the thing that runs out.
- Clotted cream and strawberry jam, in bowls with spoons, not in the jar.
- Cakes: three small sweet things per person - a slice of something, a mini tart, a macaron or a brownie square.
- Tea: two proper pots on the go at all times, plus one herbal option and one decaf.
- Fizz: one glass on arrival is enough for the format. Afternoon tea is a daytime thing.
- Make the sandwiches the morning of, everything else the day before.
The tablescape
- White or pale linen first. A tablecloth is the cheapest upgrade a table can have.
- Tiered stands if you have them, cake stands and plates at different heights if you don't. Height is what makes it read as afternoon tea.
- Floral table confetti scattered down the centre, between the stands. Shop this card
- Three small bunches of flowers in jam jars rather than one big arrangement - easier to see over and much cheaper.
- Mismatched vintage china is a feature, not a problem. Borrow from three houses.
- A cake topper on the centrepiece cake, matched to the flower colours. Shop this card
- Bunting across the window behind the table. It's what appears in every photograph.
- Cloth napkins, even cheap ones. Paper napkins undo an otherwise beautiful table.
Timings for the day
- Day before: bake or buy the cakes, make the coronation chicken, set the table completely.
- Morning: sandwiches made and covered with damp kitchen roll, then cling film, in the fridge.
- One hour before: scones warmed, cream and jam out to soften, kettle on standby.
- Guests at 2pm, fizz in hand by five past, seated by quarter past.
- Sandwiches first, scones at three, cakes at half three. Serve it in that order or people fill up on cake.
- Games or speeches at four, once everyone's eaten. Never before.
- Done by five, which suits anyone travelling and leaves the evening open for whoever's staying out.
Small touches that lift it
- Handwritten place cards. Takes fifteen minutes, sets the whole tone.
- A printed menu in the middle of the table, even though everyone can see the food.
- One good playlist at low volume - afternoon tea needs conversation, not competition.
- A tea towel over the scones so they stay warm on the table.
- The scone debate - cream first or jam first - is a free ten minutes of entertainment. Don't resolve it.
- A card for the bride, opened at the table before the cakes come out.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop table confetti How to host a stylish hen party at home What to put in hen party bags Glamping hen do ideas
How to write it so it lands
- Set the table the night before and photograph it in daylight before anyone sits down.
- Warm the scones. Cold scones are the one thing guests quietly notice.
- Serve sandwiches first and hold the cakes back until half three.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you host an afternoon tea hen party at home?
Make the sandwiches on the morning and everything else the day before, set the table with height, flowers and floral confetti, serve at two o'clock in the order sandwiches, scones, cakes, and finish by five.
How much food do you need for an afternoon tea per person?
Four finger sandwiches, one and a half scones and three small sweet things per person. Scones are the item that always runs out, so make extra.
What do you need for an afternoon tea tablescape?
A pale tablecloth, stands or plates at three different heights, floral table confetti down the centre, small bunches of flowers in jars, cloth napkins and bunting on the wall behind the table.
Is a DIY afternoon tea cheaper than booking one?
Substantially. Venues charge per head for food you can make at home for a fraction of the price, and the money saved covers the decorations, the flowers and the cake with plenty left over.
Do you sell hen party decorations?
Not hen-branded ones - no sashes, veils or slogan kits. We do make and post real party decor that works for a hen do: bunting and banners, balloons, table confetti, cake toppers and party bag fillers, along with wedding and engagement cards and art prints.