The Baynhams

I had never heard of a Bride-To-Be having a kitchen tea before. It is an Australian tradition that seems to be making a comeback. All the women in the bride and grooms families and close friends gather together for an afternoon of tea, sandwiches and cupcakes. The visitors bring with them a gift that is kitchen related and the theory is that it helps to set up the girl with the contents of her kitchen cupboards for when she gets married.

Nowadays many women have lived away from their family home for many years before tying the knot and so the tradition dwindled. Recently it has become trendy again and that is how I came to have an invitation hanging on my fridge. No boring soggy sandwiches for Tenelle! She was having her get together in Sydney's posh tea house

My friend Nicola is visiting from Ireland and we managed to score an invite for her too. It was wonderful! As we walked in off the bright street and high sunshine of a hot summers day we took a while for our eyes to adjust to the dark, cool interior. All the lights had a soft orange glow and it was like stepping into a different world.
We spent the next 5 hours sipping Earl Grey tea from china cups and saucers and nibbling on tiny sandwiches and cakes. Topped off by a glass of rose champagne, delightful darling!

Here are some photos from our iPhones...
And finally a photo showing you how comfortable I felt in my opulent surroundings!