The question we get asked more than any other, usually about a minute into the first phone call, is some version of: so what actually happens?

It's a fair question. "We bring a tea party to your house" is lovely, but it doesn't tell you what the two hours look like, what you need to have ready, or what your daughter will actually be doing. So here it is, start to finish.

Before we ring the doorbell

We arrive early and set up while the children are still doing whatever children do before a party. By the time they walk in, the table is already dressed — real teacups and saucers, a tiered stand, a runner, and a centrepiece that matches the theme you chose.

You don't help carry anything. That's rather the point.

Dress-up and hair

The first thing that happens is the dress-up rack comes out, and it is chaos in the best possible way. Boas, gloves, tiaras, sunglasses, skirts, capes. Everyone picks what they want to be for the next two hours.

Then we do hair and a little makeup — as much or as little as each child wants. Some want the full treatment. Some want one clip and to be left alone. Both are completely fine.

The fashion show

Once everyone is dressed, we run a proper fashion show. There's a runway, there's an audience, and every single child gets her moment being announced and walking it.

This is usually the part that ends up on every parent's phone.

The tea party itself

Then everyone sits down for tea. We pour pink lemonade into real cups, and there's a lot of very serious pinky-lifting and "would you care for more, darling?" It's the calm middle of the party, and it's often the bit the grown-ups enjoy watching most.

A craft, a game, and favours

After tea we do a craft they take home, play a game, and hand out party favours. Then we pack every last teacup away and leave your house the way we found it.

What you need to have ready

Very little, but not nothing — and this is the part worth reading twice:

  • A table and chairs for the children. We bring the tea set, linens and decorations; we don't bring furniture.
  • Any food you'd like to serve. We bring the pink lemonade. Sandwiches, cake and everything else is yours.
  • A space — a dining room, a patio, a backyard, a clubhouse. We've done all of them.

That's genuinely it. Everything else arrives in our car.

A few things parents ask

Are boys welcome? Absolutely, and we come prepared for them — capes, prince mugs and temporary tattoos, so nobody is standing around holding a boa they didn't want.

How many children can come? Our packages are built around a group of eight, and you can add more. Once the group gets larger we bring an extra pair of hands so no child is waiting for a turn.

What if my child is shy? Nobody is made to do anything. We've had children watch the first twenty minutes from a doorway and end up leading the fashion show. We're used to it, and we're patient.

Choosing a theme

There are several to pick from — Princess, Fairy, Spa, Diva, Mad Hatter, and Paint & Tea — and honestly, most children already know which one they want before you've finished reading the list.

Have a look at the packages to see what each one includes, or check your date and we'll take it from there. If you'd rather just talk it through, call or text — that's often the fastest way to work out what suits your child best.