Move over cocktails, because tea is the new party theme du jour. Maybe it’s our obsession with all things royal or just a desire to eat crumpets and be fancy, but tea parties are our new favorite way to celebrate all of life’s special moments. They’re a fun way to celebrate a whole number of events from baby showers and engagement parties to birthdays and Mother’s Day brunch.

You’ve probably heard “high tea” or “afternoon tea” in relation to tea parties, and we want to take a minute to explore the differences between the two. After all, if you’re going to throw a posh tea party à la The Queen, you want to do it right.

The mid-day affairs with lace tablecloths and dainty tea sandwiches that we typically associate with tea parties are what’s referred to as afternoon tea or low tea in the UK. High tea, on the other hand, is traditionally a larger meal eaten around 5 pm that more closely resembles dinner, so a high tea party wouldn’t be the same as an afternoon tea party. The more you know!

If all this talk of proper terminology has you stressed about throwing a tea party, don’t worry, because it’s actually easy to put together an elegant tea time soiree. A tea party is a wonderfully versatile way to celebrate everything from a rustic-chic wedding rehearsal dinner to a birthday princess tea party. Scroll through for eight tea party invitations to get you started and give you some inspiring tea party ideas.
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Getting engaged and planning a wedding is an exciting time in your life. You’ve done all the fun stuff — shared the news with loved ones, taken engagement photos, and put together your dream wedding Pinterest board. Once you set the wedding date, though, the real work begins. It’s time to dive into the logistics of wedding planning, including sending save the dates. Picking the right design for your wedding save the date is enough of a task. But you also need to figure out when to send save the dates.

Wedding etiquette changes as the times change, and the rules are not the same as when your grandparents were getting married. These days, wedding invitations are becoming more informal, online invitations are more common, and even save the dates are a fairly recent addition to the wedding suite. So it’s only natural to have a lot of questions. We’re going to get into the nitty-gritty of when to send your save the dates and other save the date etiquette.
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Is there anything dreamier than a beach-themed wedding? You’ve sent the engagement announcements and hosted a beachy bridal shower. Now it’s time for the big party invitations. Whether your affair is oceanside or simply nautically inspired, the right beach wedding invitations will put you on track for an unforgettable day.

Every bride knows that keeping track of the guest list is one of the hardest tasks. If you’re having a low-key destination wedding or an intimate celebration, online invitations are just as beautiful as paper invites. They can also save you a ton of cash. That’s more room in your budget for tropical cocktails!

If printed invitations are important to you, consider a supplemental evite. This can help organize your RSVPs and save you money on response cards — think 50 cents per stamp, plus all the added paper. Pick a design that complements your printed wedding stationery, or even upload your own design that perfectly matches. Whichever you choose, we’ve broken down the best beach invitations. Browse designs from classic to unconventional with every starfish and sand dollar in between.
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Congratulations, you’ve picked a wedding date! Before you go too far down the rabbit hole that is wedding planning, you need to let your friends and family know when the big day is so they can mark their calendars. Giving your guests a heads up as far in advance as possible is crucial to making sure everyone has enough time to plan their schedules and share in your special day.

Save the date cards are generally more informal than the wedding invitation itself, but they do set the tone for your wedding. As a precursor to the actual invitation, choose a design that matches and complements your wedding theme. Whether you’re going for a casual beach vibe or want to customize the invite with an engagement photo, here are some unique save the date ideas to match your wedding.
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