What better way to celebrate the December 25 arrival of Shondaland’s new Netflix series, Bridgerton than through a watch party that transports you to the show’s lush, regal setting, early 1800s Regency England. (Need more on the era? We’ve got you covered.) Playing dress-up and throwing tea parties might seem like child’s play, but given most of us are still stuck at home, now is an ideal time to indulge in some whimsy and escape.
You might not have to have a porcelain tea set, an English garden, or your own personal chef to create the Bridgerton mood. From preparing a simple pot of authentic English tea to rocking a tiara, these fun, easy, and affordable party ideas are sure to make your Bridgerton watch magical and memorable.
Enjoy!
Send an invite
An unexpected and fun way to gather fellow Bridgerton fans — or your friends who are sure to become fans — for a virtual watch party is to send over a formal invitation. Since we’re all glued to our devices these days, taking a digital break to send a paper invitation is a sure way to bring a smile to someone’s face. Letter-writing was the main way people communicated in the Regency England days, so sending something through snail mail is a delightful way to indulge in the romantic charms of 19th-century life.
You don’t need to splurge on fancy custom invites, either — just handwriting an invitation on some nice paper (sustainable is best!) and sending it off in a cute envelope is enough to spread the regency vibe. You can find aged paper online, which is designed to have an antique look and feel. And if that’s too much of a pain, just shoot over a cute e-vite. Canva allows you to personalize your own invites with super user-friendly design tools that you can email to your friends. You can also these templates to print custom invites.
Set the mood
A great way to transport yourself to the world of Bridgerton is through floral accents. Hang some delicate, faux wisteria garlands across your room to get a signature Bridgerton look, and add in some charming paper lanterns to really set the mood. It’s a snap to do so. Just use some double-sided tape to fix these to the walls, or tie some string around the ends of the garland and wrap around some Command hooks. If you’ve got some white lights hanging around for the holidays, you can forgo the paper lanterns and just string those up with the garland for an elegant, enchanting look, reminiscent of the era’s pleasure gardens, where the rich and powerful gathered to party and play.
If you’re not into all the flower frills, opt for a parlor vibe. Pull out some cards and play a round of poker or your favorite card game virtually before the show starts. Add in some real money to ante up the fun.
Dress the part
Unless you’re into Recency Reenactment subculture (yes, it’s a thing!), chances are you don’t have a Regency ensemble in your wardrobe. That doesn’t mean you can’t pull off a Bridgerton look with a few simple hacks.
To dress the ladies part, you can throw on a colorful or pastel dress or ensemble if you have one lying around. Place a delicate white feather in your hair along with sparkling tiara, and add in some long white gloves.
If you want to sport a gentlemanly look, throw on a felt top hat in black, white, or pastel blue. You can accent with a pair of white gloves, a puffy shirt, and your favorite sports coat, preferably one that’s pastel if you have it on hand.
Want to look like Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte? Throw on a powdered wig. Sure, it’s over-the-top, but adding in some silliness to our lives is always a great mental health booster.
For die-hard Bridgerton fans who want to go full-on cosplay, you can hit up Etsy or another specialty retailer to find the Recency dress or suit of your dreams. It’s been a long year, and if you’re in the position to splurge, now is a great time to do it.
Set the table
Having afternoon tea was a hallmark of Regency England. With just a few items on hand, you can transform your dining room table — or even your desk — into a traditional high tea setting. A quick way to do this is with a lace overlay tablecloth, something you can keep on hand for future high teas that you might host after having so much fun this round. Sprinkle some fresh or faux pink rose petals over the tablecloth to add in some charm.
If you’ve got porcelain tea cups, now’s the time to bring them out. If you don’t? In non-Covid days we might recommend a treasure hunt at an antique store to pick out some affordable gems, but you might not be able to venture out given lockdowns. The good news? You can turn your brick-and-mortar treasure hunt to a virtual one. There are many antique-looking tea sets to choose from, and you can find some that aren’t isn’t super expensive.
If you want to go all-in for an authentic, antique tea set, which can get quite pricey, you can always purchase one antique cup and saucer through sites like eBay or Etsy. Many of these sell for less than $30. At that price, they can make fun holiday gifts to send to the Bridgerton fans in your life.
You can also purchase a plastic set of teacups, and by plastic we don’t mean disposable. You can be friendly to the earth and reuse these whenever it suits your fancy.
The star of an English tea table is, of course, the three-tiered porcelain stand that overflows with sweet treats and savory bites like tea sandwiches and canapés. If you don’t have one of these on hand, you can find some porcelain, handmade ones Etsy for around $20. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, plastic stands are also available online.
Don’t want to go through all that fuss? Just whipping up an authentic pot of English tea can get you in the Bridgerton mood. And if you want to really go all-out, you can make some — or all — of the dishes on the afternoon tea menu below.
If you’re not into tea, pick out an English sparkling wine, like a Balfour 1503 rosé, or you can whip up a quick spritzer, like a Sherry cider or Strawberry. You can also opt for an English cider or ale, and if you really want to lean into the antiquated English theme, pick up some Gosnell’s English mead. Mead is a strong honey wine that was popular throughout the middle ages up until the 1800s. It’s a staple at Renaissance faires and is now having a bit of a comeback.
Traditional Afternoon Tea Menu
Amanda Garcia, a Los Angeles-based chef, has created a delightful, from-scratch afternoon tea menu, which includes recipes for English tea, canapés and finger sandwiches, scones and spreads, and dessert.
Traditional English Tea
What you’ll need
- A kettle
- A teapot
Ingredients
- An array of loose leaf teas (English breakfast, Earl Grey, Green, Decaf)
- Milk (whole, skim, and plant-based varieties)
- Sugar or sweetener alternatives
- Lemon slices
Instructions
1. Begin boiling a kettle full of water.
2. While waiting for it to boil, take this time to chill your teapot. To do this you simply fill the teapot with very hot water and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
3. After a few minutes have passed, discard the water and then put your desired flavor of loose leaf tea into the teapot - 1 teaspoon of tea leaves per 7 ounces of water will make a perfect cup.
4. Pour the boiling water from the kettle into the teapot directly over the leaves.
5. Give it a stir with a long spoon and allow the leaves to steep for five minutes.
6. Pour tea into each cup using a tea strainer.
If you like milk in your tea, traditionally you should pour the milk into your cup first and then add your tea and sweetener. If you prefer without milk, you can use sweetener and lemon slices instead; just remember it’s frowned upon using milk and lemon slices together.
Canapés and Finger Sandwiches
Canapés and finger sandwiches are tasty and fun accompaniments to your cuppa tea. Canapés are usually one bite appetizers with a savory topping on a cracker, puff pastry, or tiny piece of toast. The finger sandwiches are fully assembled and cut into small decorative shapes like triangles or rectangles. There are endless possibilities of fillings and toppings for your tea nibbles. Here are two simple recipes for you to try out.
Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream Cheese Canapés
Yield: 6 Canapes
Ingredients
- 3 slices of pumpernickel bread
- 4 oz room temperature cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 oz smoked salmon
- Dill sprigs for garnish
Instructions
1. Toast 3 slices of pumpernickel or rye bread.
2. With a 2 inch cookie cutter, cut out 2 rounds in each slice of toast so you end up with 6 toasted rounds all together.
3. Using a stand up mixer with a whisk attachment or using a hand held mixer with a large bowl, whip the softened cream cheese for several minutes until it is fluffy.
4. Gently fold in the dill, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
5. Place the mixture into a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, don’t fret. You can put the cream cheese mixture into a ziploc bag and snip one of the bottom corners.
6. Pipe the whipped cream cheese onto the toasted rounds. You can also use a butter knife to spread the cream cheese on but the piping bag method makes it much easier.
7. Cut the smoked salmon into small pieces.
8. Fold and roll each piece individually so it resembles a small rosette.
9. Place on top of the cream cheese.
10. Garnish each rosette with a sprig of dill.
Chicken Salad Finger Sandwich
Yield: 9 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- 1 finely chopped celery stalk
- 1/4 cups dried cranberries
- 1/4 cups chopped toasted pecans
- 1/2 cups mayo
- 2 teaspoons dijon
- 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
- Salt and pepper
- 6 thinly sliced white bread
Instructions
1. In a medium size bowl, place chopped chicken, onion, celery, cranberries, and pecans. Mix ingredients together and then gently fold in the mayo, dijon, and tarragon until completely combined.
2. Season your chicken salad with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving so all the flavors meld together.
3. To make the finger sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the chicken salad on 3 slices of the bread. Top with remaining bread to create 3 sandwiches.
4. With a serrated knife, cut off the crusts of each sandwich and then cut each sandwich into thirds. You should end up with nine perfect chicken salad rectangles.
Scones and Spreads
Traditional English scones are not the sugary, chocolatey, fruit-filled scones we are used to in America. English scones are deliciously plain and not too sweet. They’re perfect to spread butter, jam, marmalade, clotted cream, or lemon curd on. Here is an easy scone recipe inspired by the Queen of Cakes, Mary Berry and my fanatical watching of the Great British Bake Off.
English Scones
Yield: approximately 15 small scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons really cold butter cut into pieces
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cups whole milk
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Place flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the cold butter to the bowl.
4. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the dry ingredients, similar to if you were making a pie crust. It should result in a fine crumbly texture (You can also do this step in a food processor if you have one but it’s not necessary).
5. In a small bowl, add the egg and the milk and whisk together. Reserve 2 T of the mixture and set aside.
6. Pour the remaining egg mixture into the dry ingredients slowly and mix in using your hands. Mix until the dough is completely combined and feels very sticky.
7. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead the dough for a minute (don’t overwork it). Roll kneaded dough out to about 1 inch thick.
8. Using a biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of the dough. When cutting the rounds, make sure to press straight down and then come straight up instead of twisting the cutter. When you twist the cutter, it pinches the dough and that hinders the scones from rising properly.
9. Place rounds on a parchment lined sheet tray 2 inches apart. Brush each round with the leftover egg mixture and place the tray in the oven.
10. Bake for 15 minutes and until the tops are toasty brown.
11. Remove from the oven and cool the scones on a wire rack.
Serving scones
It is most popular splitting the scone in half and slathering each piece with clotted cream and strawberry jam. You can find clotted cream at grocery stores that carry specialty gourmet items or you can order directly from here. (If you don’t get the clotted cream, don’t despair. It will still be just as delicious with butter and jam.)
Dessert
Snowball Cookies go terrific with this party menu. They are light, festive, easy to make, and so yummy with tea.
Snowball Cookies
Yield: approximately 20 small cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups softened butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cups walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer and a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for 4 minutes and until soft and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk for another minute.
4. Lower the speed on the mixer and slowly add the flour and walnuts until all ingredients are just combined.
5. Measure dough out with a cookie scoop island roll into 1 inch balls. Place balls on a parchment lined sheet tray 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
8. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm.
Arranging your tea tray
It’s customary to serve your delectable creations on a three-tiered stand. To assemble, place the sandwiches and canapés on the bottom, the scones in the middle, and the cookies on top. Traditionally you’re supposed to start eating at the bottom tier and work your way up through each of the tiers, ending with something sweet. Setting the items on a decorative tray would make an equally beautiful spread as well if you don’t have a stand at home. Aesthetics are fun for a lovely traditional afternoon tea experience but it’s not the most important thing. Spending relaxing quality time with your loved ones and enjoying each other’s company is the best part of all.
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