what is a kitchen tea?

[allycat06]

Please forgive my ignorance My wedding celebrations were far from traditional...I just received an invitation to a friend's hens night and kitchen tea the next day.
What is the meaning behind them exactly? Is it the same as a bridal shower?

[feeb]

My understanding is!

That hens night is a dinner followed by night out, or drinking, dancing, entertainment, winnery tour, weekend away, pamper day etc what ever bride wants.

Kitchen tea is similar to a baby shower only people bring a kitchen gift and sit around eating cakes and sandwiches etc.

I personally only had a hens night.

Hope that helps a bit

[Pandora]

A kitchen tea is a bridal shower.
IMO you have a hens night or a kitchen tea though - it seems lately people are having both.

[allycat06]

Oh I see...thanks
So a ladylike kitchen tea is probably what they had before trashy hen's nights were invented?
Gosh its a bit much having both...this is going to be an expensive wedding. There is a registry for the kitchen tea too...far out!

[OceanPrincess]

Gosh its a bit much having both...this is going to be an expensive wedding. There is a registry for the kitchen tea too...far out!

Yeah it sounds like it might be!! That's why I didn't have people at both events for mine, and also I didn't get any gifts at my hen's - people paid for their dinner, that was enough for me!

I've heard of people doing registries for the kitchen tea - that is a bit excessive in my opinion! Which shop is it??

[allycat06]

A week before the wedding I had people over for dinner and drinks and all the ladies got their hands henna'd so I guess I did have a kitchen tea of sorts without even knowing it!

[allycat06]

The registry is at House...so yeah not overly cheap. Their bridal registry is at DJ's which I had a sticky beak at the other day...there was a $1000 vacuum cleaner, Kitchen Aid and $600 knife block on there. I think we'll be giving them cash

Lovely couple but not short of a buck by any means!

[Astrid]

Back in the 80's my brothers fiancé had 4 teas! There were a couple of kitchen ones, a laundry one and another one. Way over the top!

[smiles4u]

The registry is at House...so yeah not overly cheap.

OMG do you mean there is a registry for the kitchen tea

... please tell me i have that wrong !!

[Floweryfields]

Wow! Usually kitchen teas are simply kitcheny gifts - tea towels, kitchen gadgets, etc. I can't imagine having a registry for it - then I don't like having a registry for wedding gifts either. Another idea is a recipe party - where you take in all your favourite recipes for the bride.

[smiles4u]

............ Nah thought you were talking about your own 21st (unless your DS is one very oldish baby )

[OceanPrincess]

You know about the hen's night right? Its the kitchen tea/bridal shower you're asking about?

A bridal shower is similar to a hen's night but generally held during the day and older female relatives/friends attend, whereas the hen's is the younger things chance to party! A bridal shower you bring a gift for the bride, they have more conservative games and stuff, etc.

A kitchen tea is similar to a shower, as in during the day and for older females to attend, but differs because its supposed to be for "kitchen" type gifts.

Back in the day when the woman would leave her parental home to live with hubby post-wedding, it was assumed they would have nothing to set up their kitchen. So a kitchen tea is a chance for the guests to buy something for the bride for the kitchen. That's my understanding anyway!

I had a kitchen tea but we themed it as a recipe book kitchen tea, as I was already out of home. So I received gifts of recipe books!

[OceanPrincess]

Can I just add that I had both but had completely different guests at the two things - my friends came to my hen's night and my aunts, grandma, cousins and mum's friends came to the kitchen tea.

That's why I had both!

[Pandora]

OP that makes sense when it's for different guests.