High Tea

For my bridal shower, my sister has come up with the lovely idea of having a Downton Abbey themed high tea!  This tickles me beyond words, since my love for Downton (and all things British) runs very deep.  

 

Lindsey and I are avid podcast listeners, and she recently turned me on to Rick Steve's travel podcast (not to mention Up Yours, Downstairs, which is a hilarious Downton recap podcast).  On January 19, Rick did a podcast featuring English high tea- you can listen to the podcast here.  The podcast features what to expect at high tea versus regular tea time in Britain, as well as high tea etiquette and some excellent recommendations for where to take in a proper (and elegant) high tea.

 

Okay, I admit it- I envision myself as Lady Mary at least once a day.  I mean, look at that dress!

 

Here are a few places in the U.S. that serve up high tea: would you want to go?

 

~ The Hilton at Easton, Columbus, OH (yes please!)

 

~ Blakeslee Inn and Restaurant, Blakeslee, PA

 

~ The Ritz-Carlton, New York, NY

 

~ High Tea Cottage, Woodland Hills, CA 

Also, you can read about the 10 best places to take Afternoon Tea in North America here.

Enjoy!

1. Blakeslee Inn  2. Downton Abbey Pics  3. Lady Mary Crawley

Where to go?

I'm finding that one of the more exciting things about wedding planning is deciding where to go on your honeymoon.  Now that Will has his passport, there is a whole world out there we can explore.  Here are our current top picks:

Iceland

Photo from bestourism.com.

 Not only are two of my favorite bands from Iceland- Sigor Ros and Amiina- the landscape is breathtaking and there are tons of natural springs you can relax in.

Sigor Ros' film Rembihnutur.

Sweden

Photo from Olika Gronsaker.

I deeply desire to stay at the eco-hotel Urnatur (you can check out my earlier post about this beautiful place here).  Sweden also boasts many other unique hotels, such as the Ice Hotel and the Treehotel (a mirrored cube tree house).  Not to mention the lifestyle... below is a video on the midsummer tradition, which still thrives in Sweden to this day.

                                    

Australia

Photo from Rainbow Tourism. 

The Great Barrier Reef.  Swimming with sharks.  The outback.  Sydney Theatre Company.  Australia is the ultimate adventure.  Need I say more?

Photo from Perception.

England

Photo from Earth Times.

 What I would give to see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform on their home turf.  And London. And the Queen!  I've read so much about England, going there may be like going home.

 

Photo from ebookers.com.

St. Kitts

  

 

Photo from Nick Ryan.

Our lovely friends Tori and Leah have a family home here, and have generously offered us the use of it for our honeymoon.  I have seen their vacation photos, and St. Kitts seems to be the perfect place to go for a mix of relaxation and fun.  Wouldn't it be thrilling to zip-line through the jungle?

 

Photo from The Planet D.

 Where did you go on your honey moon, or where would you go?  We are considering doing a honeymoon registry instead of a traditional one.  Have you ever done or considered a honeymoon registry?