Rent A Tea Party
By
Cyndi Galley
Called Productions
Walking in with a black summery, but elegant summery shorts-outfit, I sat at this quaint conference table centered with an elevated cake plate with a flowers and snacks on top, quite impressed as I met with Tricia Van Doren, owner of Rent-A-Tea-Party. Modest and definitely a necessity, her business is tucked away amidst an ocean of business buildings in Fullerton, CA-this one being no different from the outside. Needed, because I am one who has done everything but open my own tea-house (although it is true the thought has crossed my mind!); Modest, because you are quite surprised at the what lies beneath.
Birthed out of years of collecting tea-pieces, and stemming from Tricia throwing a bridal shower tea party, a star was born! “The bridal tea party was such a hit with the pieces I had, that I began renting out all of the pieces as they are not only beautiful, but quite unique, as well.” Voila, enters Rent-A-Tea-Party.
As I met with Tricia I realized this was a woman who not only has a passion for the seasoned tea-drinker, but also for the novice. “Not only are the advantages to my tea-party rentals that it is low-cost, there are so many other pluses ranging from it being a time-saver , to also keeping ladies from not having to worry about breaking their heirloom tea cups.” True. True and true. Have you ever thrown a tea-party? Or at least thought about it? Though exciting, I can tell you from experience that even throwing a party for ten brings me to my knees in fear of hearing the breaking of at least four pieces I would never want to break. Ever.
Tricia went on to explain that renting the tea-pieces and fine china from her eases fears such as that. She also described her business as one created to help in the task of all the planning and preparation that takes a lot of time for most. She likes to consider herself a one-stop shop, providing even linen and silverware, if needed. “Basically when you come to me, I make it very easy for you in all areas—in terms of shopping, pick up and your time—it’s basically hassle-free once you’ve made that initial phone-call. I know that planning tea-parties can be stressful, so I’m here to make it simple. The nice thing about it is that we can do it via phone or e-mail.”
Listening to the low-cost facts, I wondered if the tea china would show to be in all-white with gold or would they be fairly plain pieces to be able to rent at the prices that Rent-A-Tea-Party does; Turns out I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Carrying a breath-taking collection of tea cups, saucers and tea pots, Rent-A-Tea-Party has all the makings of a five-star experience. Full of color, pastels and intricate designs, there were more than a handful of choices that were so beautiful I could only wish that at that very moment I was having tea with the girls unveiling delightful stories that only come with the aromas of Ginger Peach steaming from my tea cup. Sorry, some stories are made for tea cups only. As for Tricia, she made light of my assumption, fully aware that even some of the well-known local tea-houses don’t carry some of the beauties she has available to rent out to her customers. “It's low-rental, but my pieces are still quite gorgeous--so that you have the experience of the fine china, minus the cost and worry about your pieces breaking--especially for the ones handed down from previous generations. "
When asking Tricia how she is able to ensure the satisfaction of the customer in terms of what she picks out for them, she assured me that the process is quite simple--taking no more than a phone call. “Most of my customers help by providing pictures of their color schemes and theme of the party. From there, I can create what collections would compliment their party. They have always been more than satisfied. It’s what I love and what I do best.” Listening to Tricia share about her business and watching her glow made me realize that there are people who truly love what they do. And from the looks of it, she’s got all of the kinks worked out.
Another learned beauty of the business is that the customer has choice to pick up their tea pieces, however Rent-A-Tea-Party is also able to deliver for a one-time delivery fee. They also do offer set-up where one of her staff can come and set-up the tables for a set-up fee, saving her customer the time, thus lightening some of the preparation load. To which she noted that pick-ups are usually scheduled on Fridays, and returned on the Monday after the party.
Although she is not a stickler on having each individual piece washed, Rent-A-Tea-Party does have a policy that all pieces are to be free of food or drink, wiped down and repackaged in the containers we supplied to them. “Most customers leave the washing up to Rent-a-Tea-Party...and we are just fine with that! In fact, we prefer that to ensure proper care and washing.”
In terms of a reservation time-frame, Tricia noted that if the tea items are available for your party date, tea-pieces and china can be reserved in as little time as up to a week in advance. Tricia does clarify, “However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that as some of my parties scheduled have been for up to 150-people.”
“On my website it states that everything they find available to rent are things that I would use at my own tea-party--that makes it special for them, and to me!” My thoughts, exactly.
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