A Vintage Twee Party Part I

When we spotted that one of our friends and best customers Kelly had purchased this decadent delight of a book, we knew we had to have it, and the lovely person that Kelly is, she went and picked up the last copy for us! The Vintage Tea Party Book is a complete guide to hosting a perfect tea party, for the glamourous gal, written by Angel Adoree, well known Vintage Clad Gal and founder of the Vintage Patisserie.
One was totally enthralled flicking through the pages of this beautiful book where every page hosts something pretty and inspiring, every page extracted a rapturous gasp of excitement (and of recognition, one of the lovely models is a local lady!). Angel and her stunning crew take you on a captivating guided tour from the design, tastes and styles to elevate your party into the full vintage experience.
This brought us back to previous afternoon teas held here in Twee Towers where we pulled our resources of rescued antiques and every pretty prop we could lay our hands on to throw visually delightful soirees... Paying tribute to the attention to detail of eras gone by one never scrimped on the lavish layouts... Even if it was just the two of us dining! And thus, we were inspired to create our own mini guide on the Vintage Twee Party using recipes and photos of parties past from the Twee Towers archives. So as Angel would say 'Lets all raise our teacups' for the She Dressed in Black Vintage Twee Party! 



For Afternoon Tea parties, we often set up in the studio, as the light in there is lovely. We gather furniture from about the house (Peacock Chair from the hall, basket seat from Rhi's room) and mix and match our soft furnishings for an eclectic look.
Don't be afraid to be ostentatious with your twee party props, you want to create that atmosphere of a vibrant and kitsch affair.  The set up above was in celebration of The Royal Wedding, one can reveal that this was our FIRST day in Twee Towers and the rest of the house was barely unpacked, you can pull together a party like this in any circumstance!


Crucial to any Twee Party, flowers, and lots of them! The lavish bunch above features a mix of prearranged bouquets, break them up and play about till you have a unique feature for your event. Use small vases with little sprays of flowers to dot around your set up. We love the look of flowers in jugs, gives a lovely homely, rustic touch.


Mixing up your crockery really amplifies the twee, car boot and hand-me-down dishes, really accentuate the vintage vibe. Source pretty fabrics for place settings, this table cloth was a vintage skirt, and the napkins are offcut scraps we had lying around the studio, tied with delicate antique lace. It would not be a Vintage Twee party without doilies!



For more formal events, we absolutely adore these Alice inspired party picks. They're on our wish list for our next party! 




Play with unlikely objects around your home to create an individual look that is personal to you, with not a lot of table space (remember most of our things were still in boxes!) and a vast collection of vintage luggage between us, we created a stack here to balance a picnic basket of fruit upon.


Drink station - we used similar arrangements for Lauren's Birthday Breakfast, with the added bonus of a place to set out our drinks. Designing your own menu adds a personal touch to the event, displayed here in a frame. More recycled fabric table cloths and flowers, of course.

For truly Great Brit charm, no tea party would be complete without swathes of bunting and garlands. Follow our tutorial for Heart Shaped Bunting to add this sweet detail to your party. 


Once you're set up, the next step is to get glammed up! Usually 60s girls at heart, we roped in our slightly more polished and classicly sophisticated chum Carla to come model some iconic do's and WW2-chic. We had no idea where to start, fortunately just in the nick of time we spotted this tutorial over at A Beautiful Mess which assisted in our Victory over the Rolls. 






Isn't she a peach? First up we tried a half up-half down approach with two victory rolls atop Carla's head. With slightly waved hair, we loved how it looked a little more modern and a bit more wearable for those just dipping their toe in the early 20th Century styles.





Next we rolled it all up, finishing the do with a few more rolls round the back. Fab for a more demure look, and practical for hosts busying about the kitchen!




For a more traditional 50s housewife-esque look add a headscarf, with a bow to the side to finish off your do. Voila, take off your pinny, you're ready to attend a Vintage Twee Party!
Stop by tomorrow for Part 2, where we will be showing Twee Treats & Tipples to serve at your Ultimate Vintage Twee Party.
Much love,R&L xx