Vintage Tea Party Archives - Southern Vintage Table

Southern Vintage Table Events – Our Vintage Glassware Gleams at Fundraiser Dinner

This fall we had the unique opportunity to help with a fundraiser meal held at The Uwharrrie Mercantile in Troy, NC. “The Supper Club with Anthony” was organized to feature this talented chef as well as a fundraiser to support a local candidate for sheriff. A two-for-oner!

When our clients, who were spearheading the event, visited the studio they knew what they wanted for this special meal. First, vintage white stoneware plates were requested by Chef Anthony to complement his menu. The clients decided on small vintage elegant salad plates, stainless flatware, and, as you see in our photos, vintage colored goblets. Brian King’s photos truly capture their vintage beauty.

We loved their selection of vintage serving bowls for Anthony’s delicious rolls and, for the butter, they chose to use vintage teacups and saucers. Awesome idea, right?

Thanks, Stacey and team, for choosing us to help with your event. After meeting ya’ll, we have added Troy and the Uhwarrie Mercantile to our places-to-visit list!

Photos – Brian King, Cedar River Studios
Venue – Uwharrie Mercantile

Southern Vintage Table Events – An Exquisite Garden Wedding

Their’s was not the typical wedding. The ceremony was scheduled for the middle of the day at a lush garden, The JC Raulston Arboretum. After the celebratory meal, the guests were treated to tea time, complete with wedding cake and desserts. Tea time is a part of Juri and Sebastian’s daily time together and they invited their guests to join them on their wedding day. Such a sweet, meaningful jesture!

That’s where we came in. Our vintage teacups, pots, tiered stands, sugar and creamer sets, and assorted table decor were used on the dessert and guests’ tables. Each table had a color theme – gold, green, blue, and pink/purple – and the pieces selected coordinated with it. We fondly recall the day Paula and Stephanie, owner of Beauty and the Budget Events, visited the studio to design the tables. They were so excited that their tea party idea would be realized as a unique part of the wedding reception. And, Brian Anthony Photography captured it all!

Radiating with jubilance, Paula and Sebastian were married in a way that reflected themselves and their devotion to each other. Beautifully done, and congratulations!

Venue: @jcraulstonarboretum
Photographer: @briananthonyphotography
Planner: @beautybudgetevents
Officiant: @magicalweddingsbycarly
Flowers: @fauxreal_flowers
Catering: @cateringbydesign
Baker: @cupcakesdamour
Cake Topper: @revelryandheart
Large Rentals: @americanpartyrentals
Tabletop Rentals: @southernvintagetable2
DJ: @moladicentertainment
Dance Instructors: @fredastairecary
Bartender: @artfullibations
Hair & Makeup: @jessicahairmua

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – 5 Reasons To Host a Tea Party!

Whether it’s the pretty vintage china, yummy tea and treats, or having fun with friends and family, the classic tea party is always a winner! If you are wondering why hosting a tea party is a such fabulous idea, here are 5 reasons that will convince you that your guests will love it!

~ Reason 1: Tea parties are relaxing and festive affairs. ~

Sipping tea with friends and family may be one of the most relaxing ways to celebrate a special occasion. Whether it is a bridal or baby shower, birthday celebration, mother-daughter affair, holiday gathering, or an afternoon visiting with friends, a tea party creates calming moments of elegance we all enjoy.

~ Reason 2: Teacups are exquisite, Delicate, and should be enjoyed! ~

We have many, many different patterns, colors, and styles of teacups. On display, these vintage teacups create a beautiful array which instantly launches the party atmosphere. Southern Vintage Table has more than 200 vintage teacups and we love every one of them.

~ Reason 3 – Tea serving pieces are beautiful and unique.~

Speciality tea serving pieces are fun to share with your guests. Vintage tea pots are as lovely as teacups, coming in a plethora of colors, shapes, and styles. Then there’s the classic tiered stand – it might be two tiers or three or even a tidbit tray or metal stand with individual plates – nonetheless, they display your treats in such a delightful way. There are vintage lemon dishes, curd and jam dishes, sugar and creamers, cake stands, and platters. All create a splendid sight on guest or buffet tables.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

~ Reason 4: Tea party treats are yummy. ~

A typical menu for a tea party includes a wonderful mix of finger food, such as delicious bites of tea sandwiches, petit fours, fresh fruit, and, our favorite, scones with lemon curd and jam. Other menu options include soups, nuts, the classic southern cheese straws, and small cupcakes. A choice of a cold beverage is always appropriate to offer your guests such as water, champagne, or even a tea cocktail.

~ Reason 5: We can help. ~

Plan the menu, gather the flowers, and we can help with the rest. From vintage teacups to vintage lace overlays, we have the essentials and they are now listed on our updated “Tea Party Elements & Packages” page. We also are featuring two specially priced packages for you to consider as well as an ala carte listing.

So, pick a date, make your guest list, decide on your menu, and give us a call. It’s time to relax, sip tea, and enjoy the moment with friends!

For fun, check out this recent article from the UK’s Daily Mail for advice on official tea party etiquette. Personally, we love petite cupcakes with tea so we’re officially ignoring that one!

Vintage Feature – Jenn & Teague’s Wedding is on Chic Vintage Brides!

We received some most exciting news this week from Erica of Folie à Deux Events! Jenn & Teague’s wedding has been featured on Chic Vintage Brides!

Beautifully captured by Rebekah Senter Photography, “An Earthy Yet Elegant Rustic Wedding at Rigmor House,” describes Jenn & Teague’s wedding day along with the preparations leading up to their nuptials. As you read along and view the photos, you’ll feel like you were there, enjoying the day alongside everyone. Don’t miss out on Jenn & Teague’s interview questions about their experience with the planning process.

Our part in their wedding was to provide tea accessories for the afternoon tea. Here’s how Jenn and Teague described their reception.

“We chose to do the reception in a British afternoon tea style, as we love having afternoon tea and wanted to share it with our family and friends! Jenn used to live in the UK when she studied modern and medieval Welsh (Celtic) literature and language at Bangor University in North Wales. Because of Jenn’s love of Celtic history (she’s a redhead after all!), we also integrated little touches of Welsh, Irish, and Scottish traditions into our wedding day and décor.

For the afternoon tea dishes and cutlery, we were very lucky to have Southern Vintage Table in the Chapel Hill area. Shelly, the owner, provided us with a gorgeous array of blue-and-white plates and porcelain tea sets, silver-plated cutlery, and other key serviceware items we needed for our afternoon tea reception. She even helped with dressing the tables and wow, the end result was more stunning than I imagined!”

Okay, we are beaming after reading this!

Pssst! When you have time, shoot over to our Press page for a listing of the magazines and blogs our wares have been featured on! We are thrilled with each and every one!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rentals NC

Vintage Feature – We’ve Gone “Pro” on Wedding Wire

After years of taking advantage of their complimentary subscription, we decided to go “pro” with WeddingWire, an online community of incredible professional vendors. Our once-limited presence has been updated and embellished with a variety of photo albums (which are still under construction) as well as a pricing list for prospective clients. Most importantly, we are oh-so pleased and grateful to share our client reviews as part of our WeddingWire listing.

Take a tour of our WW storefront- we’ll be most appreciative of your time! Our listing can be found under the category, Event Rentals and Photobooths, or you can search for our name under Vendor Listing.

PS – We also are excited to be featured on their sister sites, GayWeddings, and EventWire. Take a peek there, too!

Southern Vintage Table Event – A Lakeside Anniversary Shoot

We are soooo happy to share these romantic photos, taken by Jackson Signature Photography at the Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville, NC. Recently published in the Carolinas Magazine, the images portray a fairy-tale lakeside anniversary picnic.

Our contribution included the vintage picnic basket, lace runner, teapot, and teacups for two. As we are only sharing photos of our wares, be sure to visit the photo essay. You won’t be disappointed!

Photographer: Jackson Signature Photography //Bakery: Edible Art Bakery//Hair Stylist: Wedding Hair by Liz //Floral Designer: Joy Filled Occasions//Design and Decor: Hobnob Occasions//Event Planner: Events by Memory Lane//Design and Decor: Southern Vintage Table//Makeup Artist: Wink Hair & Makeup //Event Venue: Rose Hill Plantation

A New Year Ahead – 2018

Southern Vintage Table has made much progress this year! At the start of 2017 moving into a studio seemed a faraway dream and yet it became our greatest accomplishment. We have several goals in mind for 2018, but perhaps another unexpected milestone is on the horizon!

Happy new year! Let’s all be ready for the wonderful unforeseen gifts ahead!

Southern Vintage Table Event – High Tea Celebration at UNC-G

This past week we were delighted to help with a very grand affair – a high tea celebration at the Alumni House on the beautiful UNC-Greensboro campus. The event was organized to thank JoAnne Safrit, an alumni and retired professor, for her gift of $1 million to the university. To honor her longtime partner, Catherine Ennis, these funds has been used to create the Safrit-Ennis Distinguished Professorship in Kinesiology.

From bass violin music to vintage tiered stands and platters filled with traditional tea treats, every detail was carefully planned by the Alumni staff. Take note of the personalized tags on the bags of cookies, the dessert menus, and of course, the lovely table and room decor.

Over 125 distinguished friends and guests came to honor Dr. Safrit, including UNC-G Chancellor, Franklin Gilliam. As you can see from the fabulous photographs by Mike Micciche Photography, it was a grand success!

Dr. Safrit’s generous gift received numerous announcements from press outlets including the Greensboro Record, Winston-Salem Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times, and UNCG ‘s website. Be sure to read more about her academic life and accomplishments.

Special thanks go to Event Coordinator, Wendy Tapia for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful event, and to Priscilla, for being my “helper” and friend.

Vintage Tips – Make Your Own Tiered Stand, Part 2

Scones with jam and lemon curd, cucumber sandwiches, and chocolate-covered strawberries – sounds like a tea party, right? Well, almost. These delicious treats need to be presented properly to your guests, and yes, that means pretty vintage tiered stands.

This week we have been preparing for a reception tea party to be held in Asheville next weekend for a very special bride, Jess. Her mother wants everything to be tea-party-perfect so we’ve been assembling and making tiered stands for each table. So far we have 11 ready with only 4 left to prepare and assemble.

One of our older posts, “Make Your Own Tiered Stand,” has tips for making a tiered stand and the basics are the same. If you drilling into hard porcelain, we have a new tip to add – use a diamond-coated drill bit. Two biggies while using this bit – the drill bit needs to be constantly bathed in water and you only need slight pressure on the plate as it grinds the porcelain down. A second tip is to position the drill bit at an angle to start an indentation in the porcelain. Otherwise, the bit jumps around and it’s difficult to get it to stay put. After you get a nice quarter moon-shaped groove, you then can begin to move the drill slowly to its 90-degree angle and continue grinding through the plate. Patience and arm power also are needed!

Once finished with your three plates, put them together with the hardware, get the scones in the oven, and start cutting those cucumbers! Of course, we are more than happy to provide these vintage tiered stands along with the other teatime essentials. Mark the date on your calendar for your tea party and give us a call!

Southern Vintage Table Events – Two Weddings & A Tea Party

We have been busy, busy, busy this week getting ready for 3 events next weekend and, of course, we are excited about each one! One wedding embraces an elegant style; the other features our casual collection. And, a set of uniquely different tea sets will be gracing the tables at Sunday’s tea party.

This is what is so cool about vintage tableware – the styles, colors, patterns, composition, and textures can vary dramatically. Whether it’s retro, rustic, boho, casual, elegant, shabby chic, farmhouse, or eclectic, vintage is versatile and distinctive.

Next weekend we will be sharing the depth and breadth of vintage style and this definitely, without a doubt, makes us smile! (Oh my, I’m a poet …)