Sweet inspiration Just your cup of tea

Sugary sunshine, breezy fabrics and an enchantingly pretty palette – strike a balance between playful and polished with a dreamy yet decadent afternoon tea

◆ Plan your bridal debut: if your reception venue borders a river, use a whitewashed boat for your grand entrance; or remodel a vintage bicycle by weaving varied blooms around the frame.

◆ Stir guests’ senses by serving a sumptuous tea-based cocktail (either hot or cold) upon arrival – make it meaningful choosing a blend you both enjoy, and use ingredients in colours that tie into your theme.

◆ Planning a relaxed garden event? Let ‘easy elegance’ be your mantra with floaty fabrics and sweetly simplistic styling.

◆ Breathe an air of spirited romance into a muted palette by combining bright, passionate hues with soft sorbet shades.

◆ Entice guests to their seats by adorning tables with vintage teacups piled high with brightly coloured macarons.

◆ A pretty tea tin bursting with blousy roses and textured foliage infuses a centrepiece with dainty appeal; a crystal bowl brimming with fragrant English roses is the ultimate in understated elegance.

◆ Struggling to find sufficiently stylish serviettes? Take matters into your own hands and seek out a patterned fabric in a hue that matches your palette. Pinterest is a treasure trove of design ideas.

◆ Give guests a favour that’s steeped in originality by tying a luxury tea bag filled with fragrant leaves to a vintage teaspoon. By attaching a name tag you’ve also created place cards – both pretty and practical!

8 cups hot, weak green tea

2 lemons, sliced

¼ cup caster sugar

4 cups white rum, chilled

3 cups fresh lemon juice

8 cups white wine, chilled

1 cup brandy, chilled Blackberries to garnish

Combine tea, lemon slices and sugar in a bowl and leave until tea has cooled to room temperature – stir occasionally to dissolve sugar. Pour into a large punch bowl and add all other ingredients. Served with berries threaded onto a swizzle stick or skewer.

THIS PAGE, TOP RIGHT Scour vintage stores for mismatched antique cutlery and china – it will give place settings an elegant yet whimsically rustic touch. THIS PAGE, RIGHT Potted in unexpected objects, plants create quirky table settings that celebrate...

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT White roses, sprays of gypsophila and clusters of blackberries evoke the simple beauty of the countryside, in a bridal bouquet or a headpiece. ABOVE Macarons in bold colours and flavours are as decorative as they are sweet – serve...