Little girls aren't the only ones who love to play dress-up. So maybe it's time to pull out those rarely worn bridesmaid or mother-of-the-bride dresses, find your seldom-viewed wedding albums, and plan a wedding-memories tea.

Sound like fun? Then set a date and invite friends who would enjoy dressing up and sharing memories. Mail fancy invitations three weeks in advance: "It's a dress-up tea to celebrate marriage! Bring your wedding album and wear a fancy dress you seldom get to wear. Please RSVP.'

For the menu, think wedding reception foods. My reception in 1967 included typical refreshments: lemon-filled wedding cake, nuts, mints, punch, tea, and coffee. But my dairy-farming father wanted more hearty foods, so we added ham-filled rolls, dixie cup ice cream sundaes (remember, he was a dairy farmer), and fancy homemade cookies.

What delicious, nostalgic foods could you serve? Consider ordering a simple wedding cake, buying petit fours, or baking dainty cookies. Add tea sandwiches, fresh fruit, and serve herbal and black teas. Raspberry Quince by Republic of Tea brews into a rosy fruit blend with appealing taste and fragrance.

Need decorations? A quick trip to the craft store will yield plenty. Make the event as fancy and formal as you wish using linens, lace, net, ribbon streamers, fresh flowers, and candles. You could decorate with your wedding colors, and display wedding photos.

Welcome guests with romantic music playing in the background. Perhaps you know someone who could perform for free or a small fee. Or use taped instrumental music or a vocal solo such as "Do You Love Me?"

Serve a refreshing punch as guests arrive, made with equal parts of sparkling cider and mango nectar. Use your best crystal, silver, and china. For larger groups, buffet-style works well, with one person pouring tea from a silver teapot and another cutting cake. Or seat guests first, then serve individual tea plates. Another elegant option is to pass the dain-TEAS family style from a three-tiered server.

While guests nibble and sip, suggest conversation starters such as, "Share a funny or touching memory from your wedding." Or, "What would you change if you could plan your wedding again? Also, ask the ladies to tell about the occasion when they wore the special dresses they're wearing to your tea.

After guests finish eating, share wedding albums and memories. Almost everyone enjoys seeing pictures of their friends on one of their most radiant days and chuckling at how everyone has changed. Send guests home with a memento such as a fragrant potpourri sachet filled with rose petals and lavender tied with ribbons, pearls, and a tag saying, "Celebrating Marriage" and the date of your tea.

June, often considered the wedding month, is the perfect time for this party. Or, save these ideas for a Valentine's Day love-and-marriage tea and include husbands. I hosted an elegant sweethearts dessert tea for couples one February. Friendships deepened as we shared our memories and wedding photos.

Cake won't be the only sweet part of this tea where you can have your cake and eat it, too! Celebrating weddings is a fun way to feel young and beautiful at any age. Even as a grandmother, I'm never too old to be Milt's bride.

I'm ready to plan a wedding-memories tea to celebrate the joy of marriage. Won't you join me?

*****

Lydia E. Harris, home economist and freelance writer, enjoys serving tea to family and friends in Seattle, WA. © 2006, Lydia E. Harris.

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A Tea Party for Moms, Daughters, Aunts, and Grandma's.

Sometimes it is not easy to find a way to get away, to get together with your lady friends alone because you have a daughter or two. But maybe your lady friends with daughters would also like to get away.

So why not have a double tea party. One in the living room for the ladies and one in another room for the daughters. If nice outside then set up two different tables.

Start with the invites, you make yours and let your daughter make hers. They could even be mailed in the same envelopes. Make sure to note on the invites if this will be a dress up Tea Party.

Now plan the table settings, the food, and drinks together. You may even make the same items like brownies, but when you cut them up - make sure that your daughters plate of brownies are cut smaller then yours. Half the fun will be when you both are working in the kitchen together to get everything made. Even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can be a special treat when you cut away the crust and cut them into little triangles.

You will also want to plan on what to do, the ladies may want to talk, or do needle point or knitting, play cards or a board game. So you will also need things for the girls to do to keep busy, they too can play with games or puzzles or color, or share a good book, or bring their dolls along. This idea could also be on the invitation if your guests will need to bring something.

What will you wear, those items you never really get to show off. This is a day to feel pretty, from your hair to your shoes, even the jewelry to the hand bags, and don't forget the make up, nail polish and perfume.

When your guests arrive make sure to notice all the special things they have on. You should also have a camera ready too. This will be a day to remember. At the end of the day make sure to thank your guests and see if one of the other ladies would like to host a Tea Party at her house in a month or two.

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Here is a fun way to show of your tea cup collection.

Place a tea light inside of each one, then place them around the house for your guests to see.

And for those old worn out or chiped tea cups, give them new life in your garden. It's a cute way to add a little extra color, and you can even use them to plant in.

Even your tea parties can have a theme to them.

You could ask everyone to wear a hat, or pick a color for them to wear.

You can make it a book party, share a book, or have each guest bring the book they are reading and talk about it.

A tea party with card games, or board games.

If you enjoy crafts, everyone could make christmas ornaments, or work on a quilt.

Bring back those fun times you remember as a girl, with paper dolls, coloring in coloring books, or painting.

There is an endless list of ideas. Share your's with us too.