Host a Royal Wedding Viewing Party: 4 Must-Haves at Your English-American Tea Party

Trying to plan a wedding is complicated enough, but for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, blending their British and American cultures while meeting all the royal standards will provide a completely new level of complexity for their upcoming nuptials.

From invitations to bridesmaids’ dresses, cocktails to cake, we can expect to see a creative combination of British and American influences that are sure to inspire plenty of weddings this season and beyond.

As one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year, the ceremony begins promptly at 7 AM ET on Saturday, May 19 with many news channels starting their live coverage as early as 4 AM ET. If you’re tuning in, you’ll need to fortify yourself and your guests with plenty of snacks, cocktails and of course – tea.

Responsible for serving guests coming to and from London’s Heathrow Airport, we’ve tapped the culinary team at one of FLIK Hospitality’s airport lounges at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport for inspiration and expertise in how to best blend British and American cuisines into your perfect English-American Tea Party just in time for the Royal Wedding.

Tea: The art of a proper English tea is as complex as they come. “Afternoon Tea” is a typically social affair, served between lunch and dinner; “High Tea” is tea service served with more substantial, savory foods and may replace an evening meal; and “Cream Tea” is a variation of afternoon tea that includes scones, creams, and jam.

Since tea is such a multi-faceted beverage, what you serve alongside your tea can help enhance the flavors of the beverage and transform the entire experience. While tea can be enjoyed in many ways, there are few English traditions and tips for hosting a proper tea party:

Always use loose tea over tea bags.
Steep your tea in a teapot filled with warmed water. Steer clear of hot and boiling water as they may shot the delicate tea leaves, and can even crack the china.
Serve tea alongside a delicious treat. You can opt for a raisin scone with clotted cream and jam, like we serve in our JFK lounge, or even just a biscuit.
Don’t worry about having your china being matchy-matchy. Cups and saucers are more fun if they don’t necessarily match; mismatched china can serve as a unique talking point. Plus, you can always dress up your display with spring flowers and a delicate floral tablecloth.

Pastries: In March, Kensington Palace announced Meghan and Harry would be serving a lemon elderflower cake made by an American pastry chef who is based in London, Claire Ptak.

At the airport, our culinary team is taking a twist on these delicious flavors and preparing, Lemon Posset. “Posset” refers to a traditional English drink that over the years became a dessert that of thickened cream and sweetened with lemon and honey. Similar to a pudding, possets are served as a tradition to toast newlyweds. Our lemon posset has a refreshing flavor with just the right amount of sweetness making it a lovely spring dessert.

Cocktails: Taking a fresh twist on Meghan and Harry’s lemon elderflower cake, we’ve decided to serve an Elderflower Cucumber Martini, instead. The official cocktail of spring, you’ll love this fresh and light twist on a traditional martini. Prepared with lemon juice, fresh muddled cucumbers, elderflower liqueur and gin, this cocktail is sure to be a hit at your viewing party.

If gin isn’t your alcohol of choice, there’s always the champagne-based Kir Royale. It is a wedding, after all! Top your glass of champagne with a splash of crème de cassis and voila – cocktail.

Hosting a Royal Wedding viewing party? Be sure to share your tea party photos with us at @flikhospitality on Instagram or reach us at flikblog@compass-usa.com.