And celebrate we will...

We all enjoy celebrating special occasions with a stylish High Tea. Recent travel restrictions and various quarantines aside, it's important for us to recognise loved ones on special occasions. On these days we all want to go out of our way to tell people how special they are and how much they mean to us. High teas so often make the perfect choice to tell that story. HighTeas add a touch of decadence and really are an opportunity to really celebrate a special person and/or an special event. 

At this time it's difficult to come together to celebrate however with a little creativity with WIFI we can figure out new ways of celebrating together. So whether it is a High Tea for your grandmothers birthday or a bridal shower or birthday we can create new ways to indulge in a high tea.

Here are some thought starters in terms of helping you to start organising a Virutal High Tea. 

Step 1: Know your audience

Think about the person that you're celebrating. What sort of experience would they enjoy?  Would they prefer to sit back and simply talk or would they want to be entertained with games and the like? Will there be a spread of ages and generations? Think carefully and then set the Virtual High Tea party plan to suit. The most important thing is to try and make it work for the celebrant. 

Step 2: Set a plan

Think about the celebration time you will have online. How will you connect? Will it be a zoom event? You will need to decide the technology in advance. That way you can provide meeting connection information for the event.  

Plan a loose schedule of activities for the High Tea event.  Be mindful that a virtual high tea may not run to an exact plan. Be flexible however do think about how the event will run and have a plan that will keep some momentum through the event just in case it is required. 

Remember too as you're planning for the event that you make sure everyone has safe protection on their computers. There have been some instances of people sharing links online which resulted in unwanted company to the meeting. Make sure the links are secure, shared before hand and try using a waiting room to manage entries to your high tea party.

Step 3: Choose a theme

It's always great to consider a theme for your High Tea at home. Although it can be difficult with everyone located in different places a theme as simple as a dress code will help to make the High Tea at home feel special. Perhaps the recipient has a favourite colour and everyone can wear at least a little of that colour. The party photos, in the virtual world we now live also known as screen shots, will theme beautifully and create a great memento of the occasion. 

Step 4: Send the perfect invitations

Preparing an online invitation has never been so easy. There a lots of online places that offer free invitation set up. Try Canva as a great option. 

If you're feeling a little more tech savvy why not try a video invitation to really get in the groove. You can easily send a video message on Whatsapp with an invitation.

Of course there is the classic posted invites which are a unique and still a highly valued method of communication. Plenty of companies are still printing invitations in all different styles and you can buy invitations online so you don't need to leave home - except of course to put the invitations in the post box. If you are in Brisbane then try Worldwide print at Fortitude Valley as a great place to get high quality invitations printed. Just take care to leave some time if using the post service option as they have indicated that they're running slower than normal. It may be best to check on timing before sending your invitations. 

Whether you use virtual invitations, video or classic snail mail invitations it is important to use the opportunity to put the zoom meeting details and links on the invitation. That way your guests will have all the details they need to link up on the big day. 

Step 5: Invite a special surprise guest

Consider having a surprise drop in guest to the High Tea. With a virtual High Tea it's possible to have a family or friend who is living overseas drop in to the event. Ask them to prepare a story that resonates with the celebrant. This will make for a very memorable event and have people talking about it for years to come.

Step 6: Nurture non tech savvy guests 

Don't forget that some of your guests may not be familiar with the tech world. The last thing you want to do is stress them over the invitation. An idea is to pop on the telephone or email and offer to have a coffee in advance with them and give them a little training if it is required. 

Familiarise yourself with all the special effects that your software can offer. For example you can choose a photo background or even spotlight someone as they are talking. 

If you want help with Zoom special features or even training on how to use the platform they have a great help centre that can answer most of your questions.

Step 7: Drinks

Of course everyone can come to the Virtual High Tea online with their own drink of choice. Depending on your crowd though you might like to all make a drink together. Of course in this situation it would be best to use ingredients that most people have though depending on budget you could consider sending out a party pack with a set of ingredients to make a particular drink.

On the day, another idea is to consider hiring a Mixologistto come online and talk you all through making the drink. This would really improve the community feel as well as take some pressure off you with regards to feeling like you have to break the ice and maintain the spirit of the party. 

If all else fails a nice glass of bubbly is a great way to keep preparations simple and everybody and can easily arrange their own.

If you're a bride for example providing the High Tea then it might be nice to send everyone a small bottle of bubbly to their home with the High Tea.

Step 8: Music

Even though it is a virtual event you will want to provide an overall ambiance for the High Tea event. Background noises at each attendees computer can be distracting so it is important to manage the sound and music. Check with whatever tech you will be using to see if there is an option to share the same music to all attendees. 

Step 8: The Food

One of the most important aspects of a High Tea is sharing the same delectable food pieces. The idea is to sip tea and chat about life and also the food itself. High Tea items tend to be a little more fancy or special even just by their miniature size so replicating this in a virtual situation provides a challenge.

Businesses like ours at  Dello Mano provide a Home Delivery High Tea that is packed in single hygienic one person per pack portions. The pack included a set of savoury and sweet items as well as a scone, butter and jam. In order to make things easy for the recipient the savoury component of this pack requires only a few minutes in the oven. An English Breakfast Tea Bag is even included in the set so that the High tea is comprehensive and requires no special buy to get the party going. 

Dello Mano provides a Brisbane High Tea Home Delivery. The home delivery can be made anywhere in the metro area. For larger groups some extension may be available in terms of geographic locations. Your Personal Shopper Bien can be contacted to help you with High Tea logistical considerations - call him on 0498002468.

And if a High Tea proves difficult to organise you can always organise cake delivery or a brownie gift box to your recipient. When you are organising such a food gift, ask the gift basket company to put a little note inside. Of course the note should include a lovely thought from you however why not suggest on that card that when the parcel arrives your friend calls you for a virtual catch up. That way you can agree a time, set yourselves up with a drink and a food treat, get on the computer and have a virtual get together. 

If the special occasion is a birthday then you can organise a birthday cake delivery and similarly make a time to sit and enjoy a virtual celebration. 

 At Dello Mano we have created a number of food gifts that are smaller and can be used in these circumstances. You can find them under our Share the Care tab on our website. 

Preparing the Dello Mano Home Delivery High Tea in 3 steps

Once everything is prepared, sit down and put your feet up. Enjoy the special quiet moment or turn on your computer and start your virtual High Tea with friends or family.

Things have changed in all or our lives. We can though use the benefit of technology and some old fashioned planning to create a virtual High Tea at home that is fun, engaging and stylish. Nothing should get in the way of enjoying High Tea with friends and family.