One of the most rewarding moments in life for a lot of BSBs is finding out they are having a baby belle! Like all milestones in the south, this is the time for celebration. Check out our five tips from Ilysha Minor on planning a tea party baby shower for the special southern mommy-to-be.
1)Encourage tea time attire with a prized competition for the best hat or fascinator! Our winner received an in-home massage experience from Magnolia Massage Company of Atlanta. This is also a good way to request attire on your invitation without being aggressive.
2) Stage the table and flower arrangements beforehand. I went as far as getting dimensions of the table and counting the number of roses I would need for each vase. This ensures there is adequate space for the tea kettles, food towers and, games. It’s very easy to clutter the table, over purchase or, invite spills!
3) Decorate on a budget. Shop at local thrift stores first for vintage, southern finds.
4) Do your own flower arrangements. Practice the bouquets with cheap flowers a few days before the event. The day before the shower, buy your flowers, make your arrangements and set them in water overnight in a dark room. Flowers bloom faster if you store them in dark places as they will “open” up searching for sunlight giving you a perfect full bloom!
5) Play seated games such as quizzes or “What’s in your phone” to prevent ruining your table setting or spilling tea on your guest’s outfits. We also played the “Don’t say baby” game, but used pearl bracelets from Etsy as opposed to safety pins. Protect your guest’s outfits!
6) Personalize the details. I chose Sweet Details to custom design the cake because I wanted the décor, invitations, and cake to all match seamlessly and the cake be the centerpiece of the table. I also wanted to find creative ways to include the father at a very feminine event. The cake was a double barrel and included his favorite flavors of red velvet and chocolate salted caramel. I also made the place settings cutouts of his face and attached pink bows. This gave everyone a great laugh and prevented the event from becoming too stuffy.
Quote from the Planner: The baby shower was for a friend of mine’s 2nd baby, but her 1st baby girl. She had the idea to have a tea party with hats and fascinators. Since I wasn’t able to make her baby shower for her first baby, I offered to handle the details for this one. A majority of the hotels in Atlanta were too expensive or too dark in terms of interior design, so we prayed for a beautiful place within our budget! The St. Regis Hotel had the best ambiance, hospitality, and the price was miraculously economical compared to other hotels in the area offering a tea time. St. Regis let me bring my own cake, which was important to me since I wanted a custom-made cake that was aesthetically unique and tasted amazing. I chose the Wine Room, at no extra charge, instead of the main court so we could have a degree of privacy. I liked this room because of the beige interior design, floor to ceiling windows and baby grand piano that gave a soft, traditionally southern and, airy look. We had our own butler and butler’s assistant who explained the history of tea time in the United States and its relationship with the St. Regis Hotel. Guests were able to choose from an assortment of teas and scrumptious sandwiches, scones and macaroons. To top it off, we all received validated valet parking!
Comments
Michiel is a Black Southern Belle living a lowcountry life. I love all things fashion, home decor and southern! When I am not running around doing fun stuff for Black Southern Belle, I live in antique stores and have a minor obsession with historic homes :)
This was the most loveliest baby showers… very classy and elegant. The cake was fabulous
Author
Isn’t it beautiful!
That is very classy and that setting epitomizes the fusion of the modern woman and southern belle indulgence..