Your Cart
A Valentine’s Day Tea is a wonderful way to share the love you feel for your BEST FRIENDS. Most of us think of a romantic dinner with the one we love for Valentine’s Day, but gathering the women you love on Valentine’s Day {or a day close to it} is a wonderful way to celebrate friendships. And so. much. fun.
Today I am honored to be part of the Styled & Set Valentine’s Day Tour. If you came here via Randi, of Randi Garrett Design, or any of the other blogs, I’m so happy to welcome you!
I hope you are enjoying the tour, and gathering inspiration for Love’s Own Day. { If you started the tour here, all the other posts are linked at the very bottom.
Best friends ~Â we count on them to encourage us, support us, inspire us and help us through life’s fabulous as well as painful moments.
We are all so busy these days, that I bet you don’t get enough friend time. I know I don’t.
Hosting a Valentine’s Tea Party is the perfect way to spend a few hours catching up with each other. Talking. Laughing. Pinking away a few tears, maybe. There is no more precious gift we can give each other than the gift of time.
This kind of table setting works for friends, a tea-for-just-the-two-of-us, or a special tea to invite your children or grandchildren to.
You can also create a little tea setting like this in the home of someone who is ill and can’t get out in winter. Â If you have a friend who loves tea, but is in the midst of chemo, for instance, a sweet tea like this, brought to her by YOU, will warm her heart immensely.
Just pack up a few dishes, tea cups, tea, a few bought or home made treats in a basket and enjoy a beautiful tea time with her.
While sharing the love is more about the company you keep, we all cherish a feminine, pretty table setting, too, right? Valentine’s Day is THE day to create a no-holds-barred romantic table setting.
Here are some Cupid approved details that are easy to do.
I’m sharing them with you in hopes that you will want to set your own romantic tea table, and spend a few hours in the company of people you adore.
I played around with a few ideas, and haven’t decided on which ones I like best, yet.
HOW TO SET A BEAUTIFUL VALENTINE”S DAY TEA TABLE.
1. MIX AND MATCH. Â I set my table using antique silver, French enamelware, an antique French linen sheet as a cloth, and new dishes with birds and flowers. While antique lace tablecloths, and precious porcelain tea cups often make their way to my tables, I love the way this rough linen cloth makes the antique silver stand out. You can mix and match a beautiful table in so many ways. Antiques play nicely with new pieces…trust me, if you put some love on your table, it will be beautiful.
You can set up a table as a tea “buffet” or set a place for every guest. Â I took photos of both for inspiration.
2. HAVE FUN. Fun makes the world go around. Okay, not really. But for me, everything needs a little element of fun!
There is nothing that gets conversations started faster than an unexpected touch of fun at your table.
I planted this cute little antique place card in between the treats just. for. fun. Â Since this party is only for girls, I really should change her little message to Mon Amie. {I used her in front of a placesetting for Mr. FrenchGardenHouse last time, mon ami is the masculine form of friend in French.
Your tables should have a little quirkiness, so your guests know you are not the serious “don’t touch anything” type of hostess!
3. STACK FOR INTEREST. Bring interest to your table by using at least one cake stand. Â I made the creamer and sugar share space on this table with the rose topped cake, since there was room and my table real estate was quite small on this round table.
Elevating some things makes your table look more interesting. Sure, you can use a stack of antique French books too, but a cake stand has the added bonus of leaving most of the space underneath free, so that you can nestle in little bowls of treats, a stack of napkins, or another plate of cookies or macarons underneath.
4. PLAY UP ONE COLOR .  Or at least stick to a color theme. The beautiful French macarons are all in soft, pastel colors.  I stacked two pink ones on everyone’s plate, and added a rose petal too.
5. EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES. That collection of antique sterling tea strainers is perfect to strain the tea from the pot to each cup. But what if you used one as an unusual scoop for sweet pastel candies, too? Â There are so many more ways to use your cherished heirloom treasures…you just have to think beyond the “usual” and let your imagination fly!
Can I encourage you to USE your precious antique pieces? Â I dream up all sorts of ways to use the things I love. Who wouldn’t want to scoop a handful of these little pink chocolate pearls from a bowl with a sterling tea strainer as beautiful as this one?
6. CREATE SPECIAL LITTLE SETTINGS. Here I placed one of those cute cupcake plates on top of an antique cake plate, and encircled it with pink candy pearls. What a beautiful setting this would be to pop one perfect cupcake on for each guest just before they arrive!
This is another sweet idea. Place a wrapped chocolate heart on each plate, and write out your friend’s name. This is such an easy and inexpensive way to make each of your guests feel loved.
I hope this has inspired you in some way. No matter how you set your table, or what you serve, it’s the time you spend with the people who are important to you that makes this party a hit.Â
My wish for all of you is that you are able to spend time with someone or everyone you love on Valentine’s Day.
Thank you so much for your visit. I wish we could all sit down together at one huge tea party. Since that isn’t possible, I want you to know how much your comments mean to me. I read every one, and cherish them.Â
Source List – Click on the items below for direct links to the products.
- Pink Birdie Bowls
- Cupcake Plates
- Silver Tipping Teapot
- Cake Pedestal
- Ribbon Rose Cups
- Antique Spoons
- Antique Cake Plates
Please visit all my other friends for more Valentine inspiration. I am so excited to be sharing with all of these inspiring women and blog friends all week long! I hope you are thrilled and inspired, too!
xoxo Lidy
Monday’s posts:
Maison de Pax | Cedar Hill Farmhouse | Decor Gold Designs
Life on Virginia Street | Bless’er House | My Soulful Home
Tuesday’s posts:
Shabbyfufu | Ella Claire | Zevy Joy
Town and Country Living | Kelley Nan | Driven by Decor
Wednesday’s posts:
Maison de Cinq | So Much Better With Age | Sand and Sisal
Randi Garrett Design | French Garden House
Thursday’s posts:
Designthusiasm | CitrineLiving | Setting for Four
On Sutton Place | Design Dining and Diapers
Friday’s posts:
ZDesign at Home | Finding Home Farms | Becky Cunningham Home
Eleven Gables | The Wood Grain Cottage
This is such a heart-warming idea. I hope it becomes as much a part of Valentine’s Day as Friendsgiving has quickly become part of Thanksgiving.
Your table is a feast for the eyes.
Lidy, you are the consummate French hostess! All of these ideas, along with your execution on the table, are just exquisite. I love the tea strainer filled with the pearls. The polished teapot juxtaposed to the tarnished flatware, as well as the linen cloth, really make using finery totally doable and approachable. Superb!
Rita, thank you! I love when antiques are mixed with new, “rough” with refined. You are right, it makes the whole thing more approachable, and makes guests feel less intimidated. xo
The friendship part is a wonderful idea, I can’t wait to get started on creating one for my friends!
Loved all of your ideas. I have a group of friends who are going to do this very thing on the 13th. You gave us some wonderful ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I love seeing the different table setting, they are beautiful!!!
Lidy, you have brightened my morning with such beautiful pictures and inspiration! Your have such beautiful things, and they are displayed perfectly. What a lovely idea to take tea and treats to someone who is unable to leave their home…so thoughtful. I hope that you enjoy your day!!!
It looks lovely and appetizing and fun. Any friend would be thrilled to have a tea like this. And I never used my tip kettle for tea, as I thought it was for hot water and the set has a separate tea kettle. I like the idea of using it for tea as well. I also have the mother-of-pearl handled flatware, and one of Brooke Astor’s floral porcelain teapots and a few of her teacups and saucers. Now all I need are the pastries!
Thank you Shannon! I love that idea too, sometimes when a friend can’t leave home, packing up a basket with a treat, tea, and some tea cups is such a simple, beautiful idea. I’ve given the friend a new ( well, antique really!) tea cup as a gift, so that they will always have a sweet memory of our time together.
Love the idea of Valentine with friends. They are loved ones too. Especially if someone has lost a loved one. A hug and a cup a tea can do wonders for the spirit. I agree a cake stand adds that extra touch to a table. It makes a great focal point of the table.
All this pink makes me so happy ! 🙂 Lovely blog ! You brightened my morning with this loveliness ! Thank you Lidy ! <3
You are so right, Gloria! For some, Valentine’s Day is a sad reminder that the one they love is no longer here. Having a tea for friends makes this lovely holiday a bright spot again!
What a wonderful idea! I’m new to my town, so haven’t really made friends here yet, but I think I’ll do this for my sister and daughter.
Pegg, that’s a great idea! Maybe you can invite a neighbor or two, and make a new friend? xo
What a beautiful post, Lidy! I am going to be crazy-pinning this. Love the idea of Valentine’s Day celebration with friends. . .there are so many people that I love, I can definitely get behind this.
Thank you Cynthia! I hope you get the chance to gather a few of those you love,
and spend some much needed “friend time!” I decided to do this with my three
grandchildren this weekend, as their parents are on a trip then.
I’ll set this up in front of the fireplace in the living room, hoping this will be a special memory
for them!
What a lovely table! I adore tea parties and oh my, those macaroons look amazing! So nice to be on this blog tour with you!
I so agree with Shannon and Gloria! You are such a thoughtful, caring and generous friend to others. I LOVE your idea for the gift of time. And such lovely table settings. You’re a treasure, Lidy!
Thank you Ginger! I cherish the time you take to leave me the kindest comments here.
I hope that everyone gets to have at least one special tea time {could be champagne time too, I just don’t drink often!} with friends.
I simply love this. What a beautiful way to spend a afternoon with friends. You set such a breath taking table. Such a feast for the eyes!
Thanks, Kim! I agree, when you take a little time to make a pretty table, every one of your guests {and YOU!} can’t help but have a beautiful time.
I just love the color combinations and how stunning your pictures are. I will be pouring over these again and again.
What a gorgeous post!
Dear Lidy, as always your table settings are so warm and welcoming !
Love the idea of bringing tea to a love one who is not well .
Merci Beaucoup * Happy Valentines Day
Xx Lorraine
Lidy it is such a pleasure to meet you and your beautiful blog! I would love to be a guest at this stunning tea party! What lucky friends you have! I look forward to many more posts together! Happy Valentine’s Day! Xo
Your stylings are always so breathtaking, Lidy! Gorgeous! xo
What a beautiful Valentine tea party for your friends, your table looks not only delicious but beautiful…..
Smiles~~
Mari
Thank you Mari for your visit, and sweet comment!
Oh Lidy…. I’m home sick in bed and took time to just soak in all the beauty of your photos…. so beautiful and inspirational! I Love it! Love you too! Wish we could have a Friendship Tea! You’ve certainly inspired me to make time for some dear friends…. Thank you, Carol
Carol, I’m so sorry you are sick! Take good care of yourself, so you will soon be better. Wish we could do that, too!
I have two very special ladies in my life and their birthdays are very close to Valentines day, so I’m doing a tea for them and going to use your beautiful design! Thank you Lidy! These are stunning!
ReNee, what a great idea! I hope you have the BEST time honoring your friends!
Hi, Lidy,
All the photo’s are a delight and ever so pretty I am ready to sit down right now at one of the tables and have a cup of tea, so cold here. Many wonderful ideas and you always cheer me up when I see your photo’s, Happy Valentines Day to you~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonjour, Jean~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Jean! I hope you DO enjoy a cup of hot tea where you are! xo
Lidy,
I am so thrilled to have “met” you through this tour! I have been a fan of your store forever, and now I know you have a wonderful blog as well!
This table is gorgeous – not a detail has been spared. I love the green and pink flowers together, such a gorgeous combination. And all the antiques – right up my alley! You wouldn’t be able to invite me though because I’d drive you crazy wanting to shop your house:))
Happy Valentine’s Day and looking forward to more touring with you!
Sheila
xo
http://www.maisondecinq.com
Sheila, thank you for the sweetest comment! I would love to have you here for tea…and I don’t think you’d drive me crazy. at all. 🙂 I look forward to more touring with you, too! xo Lidy
Your Friendship Tea is so lovely and beautiful, I wish I could join you! I absolutely love all the pink china you used for the tea. The bird tea cups are so unique and pretty where ever did you find them? Absolutely stunning! Thank you for such wonderful decorating ideas!
Karenann, thank you! I wish you could join me too. We sell the porcelain cups in our online shop http://www.frenchgardenhouse.com. There are little links at the bottom of the post that can take you directly to each piece. I agree, they are the perfect cup for a hot cup of tea or coffee!
Gorgeous.. Love your posts
Lidy, your beautiful posts inspire me. I get so many ideas from you.
Hi Lidy, I just love the beautiful romantic table. Just perfect to celebrate life. I’ve loved reading your articles in the magazines and really like the one in Victorian Homes this last month. You have always got something to educate me about lovely vintage items we love. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
xoxo Jo
Thank you Jo! I love this:”just perfect to celebrate life.” You are so right!! And thank you for reading my articles, I love sharing about antiques. xo
What a Beautiful Table Just swoon worthy All the attention to the details Thank you for sharing
Hello Lidy,
Your friendship table is gorgeous. I love all the pretty shades of pink. There are so many beautiful pieces to look at and admire. I just can’t choose a favorite. The tea pot, floral cups, vintage plates. All brilliantly displayed. I am definitely going back for a second look.
Thank you for inspiring me.
Janet
rosemary-thyme.blogspot.com
Beyond gorgeous!
So nice to have you visit Janet! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, I always appreciate hearing from you.
What a brilliant idea! A friendship tea gives one all the excuses to indulge in pretty, pretty, pretty! Sometimes I think men are long-suffering when it comes to our penchant for doing ‘pretty’ – and not quite as excited about our efforts and enthusiasm as a fellow female. Now I need to find another word for ‘fellow’ in this context…mmm…
XXX
Lidy, I’m absolutely in love with your sweet pink tea setting!! It’s just gorgeous and includes so many elements that I love. From the macarons, to the silver tea pot, to every pink detail on the table, it’s so very lovely!! I have a set of mother-of-pearl knives that look just like yours. All the romantic touches here are just perfect!! So glad you joined us… 🙂
Your colors say love to me, they are beautiful and your comments on precious time are so true, thank you for sharing.
Just stunning, Lidy. I absolutely LOVE having tea time with my friends and this is exquisite. You really do have a special French knack. I’m in awe.
Hugs, Jamie
Thank you Jamie! It’s so much fun to be on the Styled & Set Valentine Tour with you, all the romantic table settings are so inspirational! xo Lidy
Thank you for sharing your gorgeous ideas. I love to mix antiques and new items together. You have really made me excited about Valentine’s Day and table setting this year.
Beautiful pictures and some great ideas!
Lidy, I am recently new to your blog and have enjoyed every post, always looking forward with anticipation to your latest post and wondering what you will share next. I must tell you that you have truly inspired me and I have begun making “little” additions to my daily life and home which have uplifted my spirits and provided inspiration to others. Thank you Lidy!
Cassandra, that is so sweet of you! Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. I am so happy to hear that you
are finding little ways to lift your spirit! I love it.
I hope you are having a beautiful week, Cassandra, and thank you again. You’ve made my day!
I had a Valentine’s Tea 4 years ago, it was so much fun. Need to do it again, now that you have me inspired with fresh ideas! I held it in the middle of my shop, on a day I was closed.
What a great idea, to have one again! There is nothing like getting together with friends, or even customers!! This would be such a fun open-house type of event at a shop, too. xo
Lidy, thanks for stopping by at my blog and leaving a nice comment.
I love your idea of hosting girlfriends for a tea party. You are right–we are all so busy and overwhelmed with daily life. Being invited to a party like this would make me feel pampered and cared for, and I am sure my friends will feel the same way. I will use your advice and your table setting as inspiration.
Lidy what a beautiful post and a wonderful way to celebrate your friends! I love all of your antique touches and heirloom pieces too, it’s all so beautiful! I’m so happy to be doing this tour with you!
Thank you for such beautiful pictures and inspiration for hosting a tea party. In this day and age when things are so busy it’s nice to remember to slow down and spend quality time in such a lovely way.
You have such grace and style and make everything beautiful! Simply amazing.
This is just so very fun! Brings great joy to me when your ideas are shared. Thanks so much!
Lidy,
thank you for all the beautiful posts you share with all of us!!!I just love your valentine post. I’m planning a gathering for my gal pals we are in need of some love and healing time,with the loss of a dear friend. Thanks for the chance.
Denise
As someone who has 1) lived in England and am a Tea fanatic, 2) Obsessed with all things French (visited Paris 11 times!), and 3) Always looking for ideas for my church ladies’ meetings, I LOVED these ideas! Thank you!
This post, much like all the others, is amazing. Thank you for the incredible tablescape ideas you create. It must be wonderful to surround yourself with beauty and grace every day of your life!
How wonderful it would be to sit at this most gorgeous table with the beautiful dishes and delectable desserts! Lucky ladies to be invited to a tea that was so lovingly done by the best.
Wouldn’t that just be the MOST FUN Shirley!!
Lidy,
I devoured every dear word and gorgeous photo of your Valentine’s post. You have the most kind and generous heart. You truly inspire me to be a better person.
I must say that I am absolutely smitten with your darling little place card–unique and charming!
Love these ideas!
Stunning!! I love those dishes – what a pretty pattern! Those desserts and nibblies have me starving right now…mmmm!! Happy Valentine’s Day Lidy!
What a wonderful idea. A gathering of girl friends to indulge in sweets, prettiness and generous chatter. So much fun.
From the opening photograph to the very last, your tea took my breath away! Soooo lovely! If all goes well, I will be hostessing a tea with a friend soon. Will post when I do.
Thank you for such a lovely time,
bisous, Barb 🙂
This is the first time I’ve seen your post. Love it and I will be subscribing.
Welcome, Jan! xo
I love all of your displays…
So Beautiful & Romantic! Love all the pinks & roses!! Perfect for Valentine’s!!!
Hello Lidy! I am thrilled beyond words to have found your blog (quite by accident reading another blog, I saw your name and link mentioned). A few years ago I had discovered you by purchasing quite a few of your treasures by auction (prior to your online shop, I think).
I love your sense of style using antique treasures and so happy to see how you decorate, along with many wonderful tips that I will find so useful to incorporate them into my own home. I will look forward to each and every new post!
Warmest regards and Happy Valentines to you and yours, Wrenda
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my post! Of course I remember you, I’m excited you found my blog, so wonderful to be in contact
again. I too am thrilled beyond words to reconnect together. xo Lidy
Hello Lidy,
What a beautiful Valentine welcome!
Love it entirely.
Linda at Beautiful Ideas