My friend Jill has dreamed about a vintage Alice in Wonderland tea party since she was little, so for her bridal shower we decided to do just that!  Even though the weather is a little iffy in late September, we lucked out and had a gorgeous garden party, with plenty of treats and tea to be had by all!
Food & Drink:
We set up a delicious table inside full of mini sandwiches, quiche, fruit, tomato mozzarella skewers, and of course it wouldn’t be complete without Jess’s grandmother’s homemade Irish scones!Outside, we had one long table stacked with candy, cookies and other sweet treats that no one could resist.  And if they could resist, we were sure to send them home with a plate.  (Note: pardon my beer on the table, I was drinking and decorating.)
                                    

What’s a tea party without tea?   Just a regular, sad party.  We set up a iced/hot tea station with all the fixins, and of course had to have some spiked tea, beer and wine.  Have a drink my dear; we’re all mad here!

Decor and Favors:
I found a wonderful, creative cookie maker on Instagram (@nutmegandhoneybee) who lived nearby and asked her to come up with something for this party.  She went completely above and beyond, as you can see.  And YES, the cookies tasted as good as they look!  I put them in bags with a little “Eat Me” tag…there were no leftovers.

             
On the favor table, we placed several envelopes and pens so that guests could leave an addressed envelope for Jill to send her thank you notes.  I found the notecards at HomeGoods, and they matched the theme perfectly.  Guests were happy to do something to help out the beautiful bride!
  

Based on Jill’s Pinterest, we set her up a date night station where her guests could suggest fun things for her and Ryan to do.  Most of mine included “go out to dinner with Erin and Craig”, “go geocaching with Erin and Craig.”  Very creative, I know.

Jill’s brother found an old piece of a gate to put behind the present table, which looked gorgeous and helped carry out the garden party theme.  We put a sign that said “Your presence today is present enough, but if you brought something extra, we thank you so much!”

We played the purse scavenger hunt, which got very competitive, and everyone began giving me constructive criticism on what SHOULD have been on the list.  Notes taken.  The winner got a garden themed gift bag, and the losers stared on in disdain.

Congratulations Jill!  Can’t wait to get out of this rainy weather and down the beautiful keys to see you get hitched!