Todd and Holland Tea Merchants hosted an ongoing royal wedding tea party during business hours last Friday and Saturday so the anglophiles and romantics unwilling to get up at 3 a.m. on Friday to tune in live could celebrate the recorded event.
Co-owner Bill Todd recorded the wedding early Friday morning and continuously replayed the ceremony in a little tearoom in the back of the store, located at 7311 Madison St. Patrons were treated to a slice of wedding cake baked by the other two co-owners, Marianne Richards, and Bill’s wife, Janet Todd, as well champagne raspberry and Queen Victoria teas.
The shop added to the celebratory ambience by decorating the shop windows. Behind them were fancy china, a tulle veil made with Alencon lace, an English Picquot Ware teapot and commemorative towels the featured a printed crown and the words “Keep calm and carry on.”
The shop also sold novelty items like Prince William and Kate Middleton teabags. Picture the upper half of the royal couple’s torsos printed on cardboard with their arms draped around the rim of your cup, and then imagine their lower half’s steeped in hot water.
As for visitors, Janet said that three women came in on Friday wearing big hats similar to those that many of the actual wedding attendees donned. The women had gotten up at 3 a.m. to watch the wedding live, continued their party at the tea store and then went to lunch at Duckfat.
Janet and Marianne also wore big hats for the occasion, and Bill even wore a shirt and tie. Janet estimated that 45 people came to the store on Friday and Saturday, based on the amount of cake and tea that were served, because of a decorative invitation the store sent by email.
The invitation got the attention of Oak Parker Hannah Jennings. “I loved the idea of champagne raspberry tea and wedding cake,” she said. “They have a reputation for doing things right here.”
