Two magical days were spent at Madhatters Tea Rooms in Southend-On-Sea this autumnal half term!
Whilst everyone is getting in the spooky mood for Halloween, we decided to put something on to relieve the the pressures of half term Mum's when they've run out of things to plan! And there was born the idea of Princess Tea Parties!
If you haven't already been to Madhatters Tea Rooms you must go - set back from the High Street in Queens Road its such a lovely little place. Delicious treats to eat including homemade cakes, sandwiches and breakfasts, and of course so many different tea's to try! The theme runs through the cafe, with nods to Alice In Wonderland everywhere - but no doubt the most impressive thing is the artwork. The walls are all hand painted by designers and include the loved characters from the books including The Madhatter, The White Rabbit, and Alice herself. All in vivid colours! The cafe is run by Charlotte and Amy who are welcoming and make sure you have the best experience.
So we had two sessions over the two days....
The Classic Princesses included:
- The Glass Slipper Princess
- The Rose Princess
- The Mermaid Princess
The Modern Princesses included:
- The Tower Princess
- The Voyager Princess
- The Rose Princess
We did originally have Fairy Tink as part of the Moderns, but due to Beauty and The Beast live action film being released last year, Rose Princess is so popular we decided to use her twice! Who are your favourites and who would you like to see at the next ones? Let us know in the comments below!
At 3.30pm the doors were opened and a flurry of little dresses flocked in to take their seats! One by one the Princesses were introduced in and everyone was up do to the special Princess welcome dance - where 3 best dancers were chosen to win a medal. We all gathered around to hear the first song from one of the Princesses, sung live and all the little ones knew every word! There was a couple of birthdays both days, so now was their chance to come up and receive a sparkly birthday tiara and have Happy Birthday sung to them. It was then time for photo opportunities, captured beautifully by Tilly Roxanne. Table by table they were called up to have a special meet and greet with the Princesses and have their picture taken to capture the memory. All photos have been uploaded to the Facebook page for Mum's and Dads to save and tag.
Cake time! After photos it was time for tea, where everyone received a tier of cupcakes, chocolate brownies and scones along with sandwiches and crisps. There was refreshment for the grown ups too! Halfway through food the Princesses came round to the tables to give glitter tattoos to each child!
Before long we were up again for another live song, followed by Royal Princess lessons. The children learnt how to wave royally, sip tea from saucers, curtsy, manners and etiquette, and we practised standing tall and poised by balancing a fairy tale book on our heads! It was then game time where we played musical statues, bumps and corners complete with prizes for the winners.
We gathered around for a final live song before lining up to say our goodbyes and collect the thank you gift for each child.
It truly was a magical two days and we thank you very much for coming! We hope you enjoyed yourselves :)
Please keep a look out on the Facebook page for announcements on the next tea parties and where you can get tickets very soon!
The Princess Emporium xxx