Tuesday 27 April 2010

High Tea




I am the first to admit it. My family is a little odd. We are, in some ways, quite anachronistic. We have this thing about manners. In a world where people respond to wedding invitations via SMS, we still hand write "Mr and Mrs Smith accept with pleasure, the kind invitation of....". We also have a thing about correct pronunciation. In particular, of "wh". We also have a thing about hats inside (Thanks, Grandma) and we all, collectively, get a bit squigy about the "yous/ewes" thing.

The "me and Bob" thing drives us bonkers.

Sorry.

We're just like that.

Like all families we have our own particular traditions, peculiar to us, and one of them is the pre-wedding kitchen tea.

I am pretty sure that we are the only family outside the Windsor's who still celebrate this. Albeit, we've changed with the times and we no longer celebrate kitchen AND bathroom AND laundry teas, so we really can't be accused of not being hip to the groove.

Can we?

So last weekend, it was Kitchen Tea time.

It really is a women's ritual. The chairs are arranged in a circle, only woman are invited, it centres around food and involves games and the sharing of wisdom. It honours the bride-to-be and gives all the women who attend a chance to share and bond. Tiny sandwiches, squares of fudge, little lemon squares, Cecile Bruner rosebuds, scones with lashings of jam and cream.




Sigh.

I mean, what's not to love about a function that requires cake stands??!!

The theme was "High Tea", so very fitting, as the wedding reception is going to be held at The Grand Dining Room at the Windsor.

We played games. I won the "heaviest handbag" competition. We caught up with other women we only see at this sort of thing, and we spent time embracing the in-laws-to-be into the oddly old-fashioned world of Our Fam.

We probably only do this sort of thing once every five years or so, and I am sure people pooh-pooh us for sticking to our particular brand of eccentricity, but I love it. Coming together as a community to eat and laugh and share. It's just all another women's circle to me, albeit with better manners and nicer china.

7 comments:

Gastronomy Gal said...

i love traditions like this! they are gorgeous and what make life special!! A few of my friends have been having kitchen teas and I think it is a gorgeous idea.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you (ewe) about pronounciation!!!! It drives me CRAZY. As for "me and Bob went...", don't even ask. What about the letter "Hach"!!!! It's "Ach" people!!! Get it right!! Finally, did I miss an engagement???

Jazz said...

Your eccentricity makes you you and makes me love you all the more...

Jazz said...

And I don't even own a cake stand... sorta pathetic really at my age.

Ali-K said...

Don't let anyone pooh pooh your high tea! I love high tea and had one before my wedding. I've also held high teas for other girlfriend and been to baby shower high teas. Keep it up, its a lovely tradition (even if we all feel waaay too full of sugar and fat at the end).

Rikki said...

I love these traditions. I remember having a couple of these type of 'teas', partly because I married very young and it all happened rather quickly. I was given two kitchen teas (one by family and another by friends), plus a grocery tea which pretty much covered the bathroom and laundry teas. I know I didn't buy laundry detergent for more than six months!

Both my daughters in law were already well set up, so didn't have the kitchen tea and just had the hens night instead.

Megan said...

I wish we had traditions-especially if it involves CAKEs! It sounded like a bridal shower. Maybe I'd do this for my wedding too. hehe. Hey! What's that first pic. It looks yummy!