Last month, after 20 years as a single mom, I got married to the most wonderful man. My wedding is not something I thought I’d ever blog about, but central to our celebration were our two respective loves – music and tea.
 
Tea wedding favors are becoming more prevalent and timely in modern American culture, as more aesthetically beautiful and aromatic teas become available.  They are an elegant and healthful gift for shower or wedding guests.  My wonderful colleagues at The Tea Spot helped me come up with a custom tea blend for our occasion – and it was such a hit with our guests, that we’ve decided to make White Wedding Tea available both in bulk and as custom wedding favors.
 
Gifting guests with party favors is a custom that originated among European aristocrats as a gesture of appreciation and gratitude from the bride and groom.  Traditionally, crystal candy dishes with sugar cubes or confections, which symbolized wealth and royalty, were offered as party or bridal favors.  Tea has played an important role in weddings in many cultures.  British royal weddings have inspired custom tea blends since the 17th Century. And the tea ceremony plays an important role in Chinese tradition, in which the bride serves tea to her mother and father as a gesture of gratitude before her wedding ceremony.
 
White Wedding Tea is a delicate blend of full-leaf Gu Shan Bai Yun tea leaves and roasted chestnut flavor.  The prized white tea base comes from the fabled mountains of northern Fujian province in China.  The leaves are light green in color, and have a naturally fragrant, honey-like flavor.  Glazed chestnuts are among my favorite confections, and the marriage (pun fully intended) of the two is exquisite.  I couldn’t be happier with how this tea turned out for our wedding.  It will continue to remind me of that sweet summer night on June 20, 2012.