Southern Protocol

The busiest two and a half weeks in Charleston are almost here! The SPOLETO events will commence on Friday, May 28, and we couldn’t be more excited for 17 days of arts and leisure.

We take charity work and giving back to the community very seriously here at Southern Protocol; in our greatest effort to give back we annually partner with the St. Matthew’s Outreach Learning Center and coordinate a week of manners camp. This year, however, we are SO happy to announce that we will be the featured guest speakers for St. Matthew’s Tea Room Kick-Off charity event!

St. Matthew’s has one of the most highly anticipated tea rooms during SPOLETO festivities, and each year they try to really amp up its opening. This year, we invite you to join us on Sunday, May 23 for a Family Tea. We will be giving a lesson on “The Art of Taking Tea” – complete with our faaabulous High Tea attire, I might add! – as well as tea etiquette and history. Immediately following will be a traditional tea party, complete with finger sandwiches, sweet treats, and entertainment. It truly is a great way to spend an afternoon!

To help fit in to everyone’s busy end of May schedules, we have decided to offer two tea times: the first will be held at 12:30 pm, with a second session following at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children (we ask only children ages 4 and up to attend), with all proceeds benefitting the St. Matthew’s Outreach Learning Center. This is an absolute STEAL for such a festive afternoon of learning and fun. Please RSVP to Christy at christyEstephenson@gmail.com, or 843.579.0420.

Grab your daughters, sons, mothers, grandmothers, or anyone else for this fantastic event! Can’t wait to see everyone there! For more information on the center, please visit www.connectinghands.org.

The Alice in Wonderland tea party madness is upon us! I love that this simple and sweet type of party is resurfacing along with treasured story; tea parties are perfect for little girls birthdays, book clubs, bridal showers…the list goes on and on! And we don’t need to limit ourselves to grandma’s tea set – play with bright, fun colors and shabby chic centerpieces to create a modern, whimsical atmosphere.

Covering your table in a sky blue will make all the difference in the world; pair that with raspberry rose napkins and you already have a playful, bright feel.

Obviously, cute and vintage-inspired teapots are a must for any tea party. You can have them filled with tea for actual use, empty with their lids closed, or lids open with flowers spilling out. Target has some precious teapots through Liberty of London right now that fit in flawlessly with our color scheme.

Birdcages in pastel and neutral colors are a great, easy little something to throw onto tables for numerous occasions. To give a grownup feel to your tea party, fill them with corks and a fat ivory candle. HomeGoods (surprising?) has loads of cute and shabby chic bird cages in all sizes and washed out colors.

Finally, take any clear vases or hurricanes you have and fill them with colorful tea bags and bits of antique hydrangea for some visual interest. Randomly place all the pieces in the center of your round table, or down the length of a long, rectangular table.

Now, whatever will you serve?