My English Tea Party - Blog

New Boutique Wedding Planning Event in SF: Relaxed, Commitment-free and fun

5/10/2016

POPPIN' is a wedding planning event, re-invented to offer a relaxed and fun environment for anyone looking to consult with top quality event professionals.

Come explore, get inspired and receive personal advice from an expert wedding planing team in a completely commitment-free setting while enjoying mimosas, tea and sweet treats with us!

My English Tea Party will be there to share the different traditional bridal teas, and other six wedding professionals, including hair and make-up extraordinaires, will be there to provide free express style consultations, turning your afternoon into a truly fun exploration of your wedding celebration.

Event Details

When: Sunday, May 22nd 2016 from 12 - 3 pm
Where: B Parlor (782 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117)
Cost: POPPIN' is an admissions-free event. Please RSVP for general admission or by selecting an expert hair and/or make-up consult slot.

Treat Your Bridesmaids to a Tea Party

2/26/2016

Invariably, weddings are catalysts for romance and love, but also friendship! As the bride, most likely, you will want to invite the important women around you to become your bridesmaids. We think that is a big ask - not only because planning and helping you execute a wedding is a big deal, but also because often times, these women will remain close to you throughout your marriage and all of its great stages.

Having said this, why not taking some special time to celebrate these precious friends! A "Be-my-bridesmaid" Tea Party is a sweet and intimate way to tell them how meaningful they are, and how together, you will embark in an adventure of a lifetime.

"Be My Bridesmaid" Tea Party

The concepts in the photography below are the result of the creative genius of d.Royal Engagements, a Palo Alto-based events firm and wedding planner. We thank them for inviting us to include My English Tea Party's rental crockery in this very royal tea party styled shoot!

The perfect tea party food in these pictures was created by Chef Stephanie, with whom we proudly collaborate to offer all-included tea services around the Bay Area.

The DIY flower station is available for your events too! Blush and Honey, an online DIY floral boutique, ships wholesale flowers to your doorstep so that you and your bridesmaids can start to create memories together!

Contact Us to Plan Your Tea Party

We are classic tea party specialists and unruly collectors of vintage crockery looking forward to helping you create delightful and memorable events - hassle free.

We offer vintage crockery rentals and an all-included tea service around the Bay Area.

Learn More Here

Other collaborators and vendors

Photographer | Vinh Nguyen
Ethiopian & Eritrean Wedding Resource | Habesha Brides
Furniture | AM Party Rentals
Dresses and Jewelry | Weddington Way
Gold Crowns | Capri Claire
Sequin Tablecloth | Candy Crush Shop
Invitations and Print Materials: Creative DNA
Venue | Light House of Glen Cove Marina
Hair | I Do DryStyle
Make Up | Make up by Fenan and Nikki Ngo

More images of this styled photo shoot are available at Emmaline Bride.

Add a Make-your-own-bouquet Station at Your Bridal Shower Tea Party

11/6/2015

A make-your-own-bouquet station is a great way to add beauty and fun to a Bridal Shower Tea Party. Basically, your guests are making their own party favors while they spend some happy precious time with you!

Take a look at these pictures we received recently from a bride-to-be during her Bridal Shower Tea Party. My English Tea Party provided the vintage crockery and the bride's mother, lead florist at Waterlily Pond, provided the flowers.

With very little, you too can buy your favorite blooms, a few scissors and ribbon, and rent a tea party crockery and cutlery package. We guarantee you lots of color and joy!

Now get inspired by these beautiful photos, courtesy of Jessica McGowan-Vanderbeck.

Win the Chance to Host the Perfect Tea and Impress Everyone on Your List

9/16/2015

Want to indulge with your friends and experience an authentic afternoon tea? Do you have a bridal shower, baby shower or birthday party to plan?

Submit your name to My English Tea Party and Chef Stephanie's tea party drawing by September 30th 2015, and if you have 20 or more guests on your list, we will upgrade your tea service in 5 extra guests at no cost.

This is your chance to rejoice with everyone on your list and let us spoil each one - including you!

View the Details & Enter the Drawing

New Afternoon Tea Party Friendly Event Space in Bernal Heights, San Francisco

9/1/2015

This summer a new event space opened up in Bernal Heights, San Francisco and they are afternoon-tea-party-friendly!

The place is called Avenue and in their own words, their modern studio is a blank canvas for your creativity - wether you are hosting a baby shower, bridal shower, art show or professional meeting. Their main room is open and filled with light, yet private and cozy while in the middle of the Bernal part of the Mission St. corridor.

This is a space where you can perfectly host 20 or more guests sitting comfortably, in a very convenient location, and where expert event professionals will make you look like a star party planner (with zero stress!).

Check out Avenue's Tea Party package, created in partnership with Chef Stephanie and My English Tea Party.

Because a tea party is always a good idea!

3 Perfect Venues for Tea Party Showers and Afternoon Tea Wedding Receptions in Marin, San Francisco, and the Peninsula

5/26/2015

Are you planning an afternoon tea party for a bridal shower, baby shower or wedding in the San Francisco Bay Area? Here are some favorite event venues to host a tea party affair. They are all unique, full of history, beautiful and also quite affordable!

Falkirk Cultural Center - San Rafael (Marin)

1408 Mission Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901 | (415) 485-3328 | falkirkculturalcenter.org

Falkirk Cultural Center is a 19th century country estate. The Queen Anne victorian building, large L-shaped verandah and gardens are a truly elegant site for any type of event. The interiors offer exquisite coffered ceilings, rich wood paneling and decorative fireplaces to enchant.

Highlight
Their weekday rental fee is very reasonable. Plan your next gathering here and surprise everyone, including yourself!

History of Falkirk

The house was once the home of Captain Robert Dollar, who named it Falkirk after his birthplace in Scotland. The structure was saved from demolition in 1974, listed on the National Historic Register and now owned and operated by the city of San Rafael as a Cultural Center and a venue for private events.

Falkirk Virtual Tour & Rental Fees

Sunnyside Conservatory - San Francisco

236 Monterey Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94131 | (415) 831-5500 | sfrecpark.org

The Sunnyside Conservatory is considered one of the most beautiful hidden sites of San Francisco. The hundred-year-old octagonal redwood structure is now a polished, light-filled and elegant building surrounded by an exquisite garden with thriving drought-tolerant plants, succulents and imposing palms.

The gardens's menagerie is comprised of 23 fantastical and elegant bronze creatures that decorate the space so well and to some, hint at the possibility of still unknown worlds! Altogether, this is an extraordinary location for a small celebration.

Highlight
Rental fee includes the use of 70 wooden-padded chairs, and an assortment of round and rectangular tables. There is no kitchen on site, but there is a special space with a kitchen sink designated for final food prep.

History of the Sunnyside Conservatory
English inventor and stargazer William Augustus Merralls originally built the Conservatory in 1898 on his estate, then a remote part of the city. Over time, the Conservatory passed from private to public hands, and despite its city landmark status, the site ended up in need of vast stewardship.

The large trees and overgrown bushes covered the structure, but in 1999 a few neighborhood residents discovered the Conservatory, having that Alice-in-Wonderland feeling of entering another world. They decided to organize and advocate for the renovation of the Conservatory. Ten years later, after a $4.2 million renovation project, the building and grounds re-opened as a San Francisco Recreation and Park site for the enjoyment of all.

Sunnyside Conservatory Rates

The Rengstorff House - Mountain View (Peninsula)

3070 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043 | (650) 903-6088 | r-house.org

The Rengstorff House is Mountain View’s oldest historic house and is one of the finest examples of Victorian Italianate architecture on the West Coast. The mansion offers a gracious dining room and four lovely parlors, all decorated in classic period décor. The exteriors offer brick patios and ample gardens for lawn games or additional outdoor seating.

Highlight
Also very reasonable rates! The Rengstorff is not available during public tour hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 am - 5 pm, and Sundays from 1 - 4 pm.

History of the Rengstorff House
Like so many others of his generation, Henry Rengstorff was lured to California by stories of the gold rush. At the age of 21, young Henry sailed around Cape Horn and arrived in San Francisco in 1850. Too late to join the gold rush, he took a job on a Bay steamer traveling between San Francisco and Alviso.

Later, he became a farm laborer in Santa Clara Valley where he saved enough money to purchase squatter's rights to 290 acres of land in San Jose. As Rengstorff's fortune grew, so did his land holdings. Finally in 1864, Henry bought the 164 acres of land which is now part of Shoreline Business Park north of the Bayshore Freeway. Near where Rengstorff House stands today, Rengstorff built a ship landing. The Rengstorff Landing played a significant role in the economic development of Mountain View and the Peninsula.

A succession of owners held the Rengstorff house over the next 20 years. In 1979, the house was purchased by the City of Mountain View, eventually moved to its present site and restored. In March 1991, the Rengstorff House was dedicated as a public facility by Mountain View's City Council.

The Renstorff Rental Rates

Culinary Mistress, Chef Stephanie Creates Organic Tea Menus for My English Tea Party

5/12/2015

I live in Bernal Heights, a great little San Francisco neighborhood I hope I call home for a long time. Some of the nicest things about Bernal are the stewardship of the neighbors creating community, our own local shopping strip, and how small and medium-sized business owners like me who live here seek to help each other. And this is how I met Chef Stephanie, the culinary mistress!

Together, we set to provide the best delivered tea service in the Bay Area by combining My English Tea Party's unique vintage crockery and event planning experience with Chef Stephanie's delicious and sustainably made cuisine.

Choose from two different organic tea menus by Chef Stephanie, and My English Tea Party will host for you a traditional afternoon tea experience at your chosen venue or home, anywhere in the Bay Area.

All-in-One Event Design by My English Tea Party

Includes:

- Full vintage crockery: delightfully mismatched fine vintage teacups and saucers, tea plates, teapots, ornate serving platters and tiered serving stands for a tea station or high tea set up .

-Vintage cutlery: teaspoons, dessert forks, knives, sugar tongs and tea strainers in sterling, silver-plated, stainless and other beautiful selections.

-Accessories: Table runners, traditional matching bunting and country flowers for the tea station or guest tables.

-Entertainment: Fascinators and hats to loan guests plus English wartime music and tea salon music.

-Delivery, set up and break down.

-A proper hostess to serve and clear up after the event.

-We will curate the crockery, accessories and flowers led by the color palette of your choice.

Organic Tea Menus by Chef Stephanie

Simple Menu:

-Lavender and sea salt shortbread cookies
-Meyer lemon bars
-Blueberry scones with Devon cream
-Two varieties of tea sandwiches
-Mixed green salad with blue Stilton, toasted pecans, fresh berries & honey vinaigrette
-Cabbage and apple slaw with creamy caraway & mustard seed dressing
-Seasonal fresh fruit

Deluxe Menu:

-Lavender and sea salt shortbread
-Meyer Lemon bars
-Fresh crumpets with seasonal jam
-Blueberry scones with Devon cream
-Three varieties of tea sandwiches
-Mixed green salad with blue Stilton, toasted pecans, fresh berries & honey vinaigrette
-Cabbage and apple slaw with creamy caraway & mustard seed dressing
-Warm spinach and artichoke dip with flatbreads
-Petit fours
-Seasonal fresh fruit

The menus come with four varieties of loose leaf tea.

Bookings and Pricing

Please contact My English Tea Party here or Chef Stephanie at chefstephanieh@gmail.com to inquire about our combined pricing and availability.

We look forward to hosting your next birthday party, bridal shower, baby shower, wedding reception, book club, fundraiser or any other happy time.

More About Chef Stephanie

Chef Stephanie creates delicious and beautiful food with organic and local ingredients. She approaches her craft with respect and compassion for all living things, as well as a balance of positive intention and playful ingenuity - an accomplishment of her more than 25 years of experience in kitchens and restaurants.

You can view the full range of Chef Stephanie's services here.

A Patio Shabby Chic Afternoon Tea Shower

5/12/2015

I met Kori a couple of months ago when she emailed me inquiring about My English Tea Party's vintage rentals and tea service for her bridal shower. It did not take long to realize she is the kind of person who knows exactly what she wants, and will make it happen!

Her brick patio, farm tables and umbrellas, along with a couple vintage dressers she picked up at a second hand shop, set the stage for a shabby chic (more chic than shabby) afternoon tea. My English Tea Party added to the decor with table runners, matching bunting and flowers, and of course, the delightfully mismatched vintage crockery and cutlery.

Kori was truly the master mind behind the plans - including the yummy mimosas, but I also want to thank her mom and close friends without whom this perfect afternoon tea shower wouldn't have come together so effortlessly and fun!

Here are some of my favorite shots of the day, which hopefully inspire your next event!

View Our Tea Party Rentals Info

Afternoon Tea Service, Delivered Anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area

5/8/2015

When my mother-in-law's good friend Nancy heard I was leaving my marketing job to launch My English Tea Party as a vintage crockery rental and tea service company, she was hesitant about how many tea enthusiasts would hire me.

Months later, Nancy's youngest daughter became engaged and suggested they host a casual but tasteful pre-wedding afternoon tea for her bridesmaids and out-of-town guests - and perhaps even get a little playful wearing vintage hats and fascinators. It turns out My English Tea Party was the perfect answer, and I was happy to help them make it a reality!

If you don't have time to scour Goodwills, Etsy, garage sales and eBay to collect enough beautiful vintage crockery for your event, or perhaps are not quite sure what to serve and how to set up for an authentic afternoon tea experience, contact My English Tea Party and we'll make sure you impress your guests and have all the fun without putting all the work!

Besides the vintage crockery and cutlery, My English Tea Party's all-included tea service comes with the quintessential afternoon tea menu, and bottomless organic loose leaf tea. It also includes hats and fascinators to loan your guests, as well as flowers, bunting and table runners to create the perfect tea ambience!

Vintage Rentals & Tea Service Info

Bouquets to Art 2015 at the de Young - San Francisco

4/23/2015

As a lover of afternoon tea, I'm also a lover of spring and it's blooms. Arranging flowers and pairing them with beautiful vintage crockery is one of my favorite things to do at My English Tea Party. You can imagine why I love so much the Bouquets to Art exhibit every year at the de Young in San Francisco!

If you are anything like me and missed this amazing annual weeklong tradition, here are some pictures that will stimulate your senses, even make you dream.

More about Bouquets to art

Each year, the San Francisco Bay Area welcomes spring with an enchanting and very popular exhibit in which gifted floral designers interpret and pair works of art from de Young’s permanent collections to extraordinary bouquets. The result is extraordinary!

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Hello!

My name is Liliana Peliks, I live in San Francisco with my husband, our daughter and my imaginary (and very well behaved) cocker spaniel who has tea with us every afternoon.

I am also the owner and lead joy maker at My English Tea Party.

Thank you for reading!

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