A Valentine tea party is the perfect way to gather with your girlfriends for Galentine’s Day. With our simple decorations, drinks and food ideas, you’ll have all the inspiration you need to get started.
Tea parties are one of my favorite ways to celebrate with my girlfriends.
They are usually held in the afternoon. So you don’t have to cook a whole meal.
And they’re centered around serving tea. So you don’t have to stock a whole bar, either.
Which is why when I wanted to host a Valentine party for my friends (some would call it a Galentine’s party), I decided to do a Valentine’s Day tea party.
And it was so much fun, it might become an annual occurrence.
Themes
This post may contain affiliate links. We make a small commission if you buy the products from these links (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. But we only recommend products we would use ourselves. For more information, click here to see our disclosures
I always like to pick a theme when I’m having a party.
It makes deciding on decorations so much easier.
For this one, I went with a hearts and flowers theme.
But you could also do an Alice in Wonderland theme, a vintage theme or pick a color to use as the theme (pink, red, teal or a combination of those would work).
The table Setting
I used a black tablecloth on my table because I like how it makes the pink and white colors pop.
But if you don’t like that much contrast, a white tablecloth would work, too.
Then for each place setting, I layered a pink glass charger, light pink dinner plate and heart-shaped appetizer plate topped with a linen napkin and flower napkin holder.
Since pink and gold is one of my favorite color combinations, I used gold cutlery to finish it off.
Mix and match tea cups
Since this is a tea party, having pretty tea cups is a must.
But getting a matched set can be really expensive!
So I made the rounds to all of the thrift stores in the area and found a bunch of mis-matched cups and saucers. (I don’t think it feels like a real tea party if you don’t have the saucers).
Then I found a few more (like this one) at HomeGoods, which also weren’t very expensive.
Fortunately, they all had roses on them so that helped to tie them all together, and went with my theme.
The centerpiece
The centerpiece I created looks a lot more complicated than it actually is.
I started with a black and white striped runner that I used as the base.
Then placed five mis-matched pink and white cake stands down the middle of the table (on top of the runner).
And wound a garland of faux pink flowers in and around the cake stands.
Then I used the cake stands as serving pieces for the tea pot and some heart-shaped Valentine’s cookies.
That way they were pretty and functional.
Other decorations
On the buffet beside the table, I used a row of small bouquets with white roses and baby’s breath alternating with white candles.
Since it’s easier to put these flowers in vases, I used real ones rather than the fake ones I had on the table.
And using small bouquets meant I didn’t need that many flowers so that kept the cost down.
Behind the small bouquets, I had a couple of larger ones with pink hydrangeas and baby’s breath, along with candle lanterns and a chalkboard sign that I drew a heart on.
The whole thing created a pretty backdrop for my table that goes with the theme but wasn’t too matchy-matchy.
The Tea
A tea party isn’t a tea party without the tea.
I always offer 2 kinds of tea at my parties – the traditional caffeinated kind (like Earl Grey) and flavored herbal teas.
If you are making the tea in pots (the traditional way), you’ll need to pick which ones you’re going to serve in advance.
Otherwise, you can have hot water available with a selection of tea bags that people can choose from and everyone can pick what they want. (But I will say that some tea-drinkers will tell you this isn’t the proper way to serve it).
Other drinks
I also like to serve some kind of wine or champagne at my tea parties.
For Valentine’s Day, these strawberry mimosas always go over well.
And depending what your friends like, these pink champagne jello shots might also be a hit.
Food & recipes
At a traditional afternoon tea, mini sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and different kinds of tarts are usually served on a 3-tiered stand.
But since I was having a few people over and it was a Valentine’s Day party, I served a slightly different menu.
We did have mini-sandwiches, but I served them on a tray that we could pass around.
A naked red velvet cake with heart toppers fits right in with the Valentine’s Day party theme.
A fruit charcuterie board is good for anyone who doesn’t want to eat too many sugary treats.
A traditional charcuterie board with meats and cheeses as well as fruits and vegetables would also work if you want to serve something more substantial.
You could also do something similar with a selection of candies and Valentine’s Day treats.
And of course, there were the decorated sugar cookies in the middle of the table that were part of the centerpiece.
Well, that’s it for my Valentine tea party ideas. I hope you found some inspiration for hosting your own get-together.
Other Valentine’s Day ideas you might like
- Hearts and roses Valentine tree
- Easy DIY Valentine Day wreath
- Pink, red and white Valentine tree
- The best Valentine’s Day cookie recipes
- 65+ Valentine dessert recipes
Or browse all our Valentine’s Day ideas.
Have comments or questions about our Valentine tea party? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on January 26, 2023 but was updated with new content on January 21, 2024.
