Celebrate the romance and grandeur of Bridgerton with this themed Afternoon Tea. This guide brings together carefully selected sweets, savouries, and hosting details to help you recreate a refined gathering at home. You’ll also find thoughtful guidance on colours, music, flowers, and finishing touches—so every element feels cohesive, elegant, and truly special.
Step into the Elegance of the Regency Era
A Bridgerton themed afternoon tea is the perfect way to bring the romance, charm, and grandeur of Regency-era London to life! Imagine a setting adorned with lavish floral arrangements, tiered stands brimming with delicate treats, and tables set with fine china and pastel hues—all evoking the splendor of high society.
While the opulence of the Ton may be extravagant, your gathering doesn’t have to be. By drawing inspiration from Bridgerton’s signature elements, you can create a tea party that is both sophisticated and effortlessly enchanting, without having to take out a small loan! With just a few thoughtful touches—pretty décor, indulgent sweet treats, and a touch of vintage fashion—your afternoon tea will be the talk of the ton!
For full details on planning an Afternoon Tea as well as a handy checklist of what you’ll need, view my post on Hosting an Afternoon Tea.
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Bridgerton Themed Afternoon Tea Elements
I’m an absolute slave to a bit of beautiful decor, a lavish interior or a stunning looking table. Couture fashion, beading, silk, incredible jewellery, don’t even get me started. I suppose that’s why I’m completely addicted to Bridgerton’s opulent sets that are a visual spectacle, dripping with pastel-hued ballrooms, gilded chandeliers, and lush floral arrangements that evoke a sense of romance and extravagance.
However, planning a Bridgerton Themed Afternoon Tea is another story. As it’s the perfect opportunity to combine all of my ‘loves’ in the one place, at times I find it a bit overwhelming as I want to include everything (I’m sure I’m not the only one…let me know if this is you too).
Start with a Bridgerton-inspired colour palette
So to make sure I don’t go overboard, I try to choose a colour palette for inspiration. Fortunately the Bridgerton family loves pastels so that narrows it down a bit.
However, if you are a fan of the Featherington family’s lust for vibrant hues, then go with that! Lime green and pink or just yellow in celebration of the Penelope (before she decided to tone down her wardrobe to attract a husband in season 3) are great places to start.
Secondly, to ensure I stay focused (instead of throwing everything on the table and then wondering why it looks ‘uncomposed’), I decide on three colours from the palette that work with my tea cups/china and that I can also use for my invitations, tablecloth, napkins, menus, and florals. When choosing the three colours, I apply a bit of a tried and tested formula: two of the colours should be from the same family, just different shades. The third colour is then used as a contrast colour which helps break up the main colours and adds a bit of interest. My Mum tells me this is the “Bride, Bridesmaid, Unwanted Guest” theory of flower arranging! Whatever it is called it really does work.
Send Elegant Invitations
Now that you’ve settled on your colour choices, it’s time to apply them to beautifully designed invitations featuring floral elements, butterflies plus elegant calligraphy. Include a formal yet fun message inspired by Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, and add Regency Elegance as the Dress Code.
What does Regency Elegance mean?
- Ladies: Pastel colours, lace, brocade, ruffles, Empire waist dresses, corsets, tailored coats, and extravagant jewellery. Puffy sleeves, elegant updo hairstyles, hair accessories including fresh flowers plus pearl or diamond jewellery.
- Gentlemen: Tailored coats, cravats and waistcoats
- Optional extras: Decorative hand fans and parasols
- For some excellent examples of beautiful gowns and Gentlemen’s attire visit the Official Netflix Bridgerton web page.
Send the invitations in the mail for a traditional touch. You can also add a wax seal to really finish them off, or go the extra mile with a customised version featuring your intials or own design. Etsy can help here.
I’ve been into the free section of Canva and made a little sample for you below. Simply search ‘Floral Invitation’ and find a free template that you like, then adapt the elements and add in some butterflies. Everything I’ve used was free content.
Sample Bridgerton Invitation
Bridgerton Afternoon Tea Menu Suggestions
Get ready to be the ‘talk of the Ton’ with a delicious afternoon tea menu. Featuring easy to make recipes with visual impact and Regency charm, you can make them all, share the cooking between your friends or simply purchase similar items from your favourite stores (check out my Cheat’s Afternoon Tea for ideas or the Bridgerton-inspired box of sweet treats from the Cheesecake Shop in Australia).
Below are the links to some recipes that would work really well with the Bridgerton theme, just click on each one for more detail. Four or five sweet treats, scones, three types of sandwiches and a savoury such as a mini quiche is a great place to start. You can also put a Bridgerton twist on the names of some of the dishes if you like! Check out the Bridgerton Themed Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough in London for some fun inspiration.
Finger Sandwiches
- Cucumber, Cream Cheese & Mint Finger Sandwiches
- Coronation Chicken
- Smoked Salmon Finger Sandwiches
- Ham, Cheddar and Tomato Relish Finger Sandwiches
Savouries
Scones
Sweet Treats
- Mini Coconut Ice Cupcakes
- Vanilla Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Slice
- Daisy Choux Puffs
- Lemon Tartlets with Pistachio Meringues
- Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes
Create Lavish Layers
Now that you’ve got your menu sorted, it’s time to create a look of ‘curated extravagance’ with your table setting. The best way to achieve this is to start with your tablecloth as the foundation, then layer your elements from there. For certain items check out second hand or vintage stores or ask family, neighbours or friends if you can borrow what you need – you never know what they might have.
Table linens
A beautiful white tablecloth always creates an elegant statement or maybe your prefer a pretty floral, print or even one with bows in one or two of your colours from your chosen palette.
Runners, Chargers & Placemats
Add a table runner (great if you are using a plain white cloth as it adds a little colour/print), a fabric or textured placemat and a charger plate if you have them.
Napkins
Use linen or cotton napkins in either a plain colour or a print. You can also use napkin rings, ribbon, or flowers to add even more colour and texture.
Menu & place card
Place a printed menu card and a handwritten or calligraphy place card at each place setting for a touch of authenticity.
China and cutlery
Add your china to each place setting including tea cup, saucer & plate trio with a teaspoon as well as other cutlery and china if required. Don’t forget your teapot, sugar bowl and milk jug too! See my checklist for all the details.
Glassware
Use crystal glassware for that Regency touch as well as Champagne coupe/saucer glasses for some extra glamour.
Extras
- Silver teapot or tea set
- Blue & white china vases or small bowls
- Candles in glass holders or gilt candelabras on the table
- Themeing such as a fan, replica dance card, or write your own Lady Whistledown’s Society Paper with (kind) gossip featuring your guests
- Tiered stands of afternoon tea delicacies
- Vintage cakes with lambeth piping, macaron or madeleine towers, fruit displays
- Ribbons and bows on glassware, cakes, stands etc
Add Flowers & Foliage
From the wisteria covered Bridgerton House to the over the top large scale floral installations, Bridgerton is a visual feast for flower lovers and an integral part of creating a Bridgerton themed Afternoon Tea. So where do you begin?
Using your chosen colour palette above, think about what might be available in your garden around the time of your event, or what you can take from the gardens of family and friends, then add in either artificial flowers, fresh flowers, or both. While fresh is always going to look the most realistic (obviously…lol), it is not always practical when it comes to availability, seasons, cost, freshness, and longevity. Wisteria is a great example of this.
Flower & Foliage suggestions (use silk flowers if you can’t find what you want or it’s out of season)
- Roses
- Wisteria
- Peonies
- Orchids
- Dahlias
- Lilac
- Magnolia foliage
- Hydrangeas
- Ivy
- Delphiniums
- Gypsophila
- Cosmos
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Japanese or English box (buxus)
Play Bridgerton-style Music
Bridgerton’s signature orchestral covers of modern hits—like Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams or Ariana Grande’s thank u, next—add a fresh, contemporary twist, and guessing what song is playing makes the show feel strangely modern (even though you are dressed in Regency fashions sipping tea!) For your Bridgerton Afternoon Tea, a mix of Regency classical music and orchestral pop covers will help set the tone. Make a playlist with some or all of the following:
Instrumental Covers (Vitamin String Quartet & Others)
- “Wildest Dreams” – Taylor Swift
- “Thank U, Next” – Ariana Grande
- “Material Girl” – Madonna
- “Dancing on My Own” – Robyn
- “Stayin’ Alive” – Bee Gees
- “Wrecking Ball” – Miley Cyrus
- “Halo” – Beyoncé
- “Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish
Classical & Regency-Era Music
- “Bridgerton Main Theme” – Kris Bowers
- “Pride & Prejudice” Theme – Jean-Yves Thibaudet
- “The Waltz of the Flowers” – Tchaikovsky
- “Minuet in G” – Beethoven
- “Una Furtiva Lagrima” – Donizetti
Get into character and have fun
Watching Bridgerton is such a great escape and makes you wonder what life might have been like if we were to live during Regency times. Which character would you have like to have been? Would you have enjoyed all those balls, dress fittings and pushy Mama’s or would you have been more bookish like Eloise?
Hosting a Bridgerton themed Afternoon Tea gives us a brilliant opportunity to indulge just for a few hours in an elegant pastime and think what if? (and who doesn’t love that……plus a short daydream about Lord Anthony Bridgerton).
I hope this guide inspires you to gather your favourite people, set a beautiful table, and enjoy the timeless pleasure of Afternoon Tea at home.
