Style Me Vintage: Tea Parties: A Guide to Hosting Perfect Vintage Events

In a melding of the fun style of the 'Style Me Vintage' series with a traditional cookery book, Style Me Vintage: Tea Parties is a vintage and thematic take on a traditional afternoon tea book.

The current trend for retro styled events and afternoon tea parties is as much about styling as it is about food and drink and this book will show you just how to achieve your own perfect event. Split into themed tea parties, it will show how to create your tea party: dress your table, decorate your room, do your invitations, costume suggestions, and offer key recipes for food and drink within each theme. Themes include: a Victorian Tea Party (lace aplenty and dainty cakes), an Edwardian Breakfast (country house pastries and breakfast cocktails), a 1920's Speakeasy (cocktails in tea cups and recipes for jazz babies), a 1930's Cocktail Party (silk, tweed, champagne with elegance), a 1940's Picnic (fiery ginger beer anyone?), a 1950's Street Party (bunting and finger food). With advice on scaling up into a tea party for many – or down to an intimate tea for two, you can't go wrong.

Lulu Gwynne opened Betty Blythe tea rooms in West London on Valentine's Day 2008. Staffed with pretty girls in vintage outfits and red lipstick it is a service-based old fashioned establishment, serving up delectable afternoon teas to discerning clientele. Lulu specialises in tea party experiences for children, hen parties or indeed anyone wishing to indulge in a vintage experience. As well as devouring delectable cakes and pastries, visitors can delve into her vintage dressing up box and take lessons in etiquette in beautiful surroundings, reviving age-old tea traditions. This is her first book.