Do you offer the afternoon tea experience outside of Red Deer?
While we are primarily focused on the city of Red Deer, we are happy to provide this service outside of the city limits to the residents of central Alberta. We will, however, need to charge mileage. The CRA current mileage rate is $0.72 cents per kilometer and this would be round -trip mileage. For out of town parties, we will need to talk as we will need to ensure that the booking will work with other booking(s) we may have on the same day.
Do you have a minimum and maximum number of guests you can accommodate?
Currently, the minimum number we can accommodate for the Platinum and Diamond Jubilee tiers is 4 people. The minimum number we can accommodate for the Golden Jubilee Tier is 6 people. Our maximum number of people is 30. We would be happy to talk to you about larger parties – this likely can be arranged with some planning and good preparation. If you are thinking about a large group party, please call us at (403) 309-9603 and let’s talk about it.
How early can I book a party? How much notice do you need?
Preparation is everything to make a tea party work. Ideally, we’d love to have 2 weeks-notice of booking a party, however one week will work. Due to the nature of the work necessary to prepare and the small size of our business, we would be very challenged to book a party within a week of the date. As the business grows, this could change.
When do you require payment?
50% of the cost of the party is due once the booking and details are both confirmed. The remaining balance is due one week prior to the party date. At this time, payment can be made through e-transfer only.
Do you accommodate allergies and offer gluten-free alternatives?
At this time, we are unable to offer these dietary adjustments. Afternoon tea is comprised of many allergy-inducing ingredients (i.e. eggs, dairy, flour, nuts, etc.). Once we have been running successfully, we can look at gluten-sensitive options, however we will never run in an allergy free facility and can’t promise there won’t be exposure to some of these high allergy ingredients. It is worthwhile noting however, that some parts of an afternoon tea service are naturally gluten-free. If you have a guest who is gluten sensitive, we may be able to accommodate them. Let’s talk about and see if we can come up with a plan.
I have some special requests regarding colours and china preference. Are you able to accommodate?
We are committed to creating an experience that is meaningful for you. If you would like to talk about specifics, we are happy to do this. While we may not be able to accommodate your every wish, we are happy to work on the experience together. Please call at (403) 309-9603 or email info@woodleatravellingteaparty.com to get the conversation started.
Do you offer kids parties?
This is something we’d definitely like to do routinely in the future. If you would like to do something for your child’s birthday, let’s talk about it. We can likely set up something that will make you happy.
How last minute can I book a party?
We require a week’s notice prior to a booking. This is to ensure that we have everything we need and are adequately prepared for your party.
What if I have to cancel my party at the last minute?
Stuff happens. We get that. Sometimes your plans change and we certainly don’t want to be insensitive to that, however it’s also important that you are sensitive to our situation. The amount of planning that goes into a tea party is significant.
If your cancellation is within 48 hours of your party and the WTTP is at a financial loss due to this, then we will only be able to refund a minimum of 50% of the costs, depending on the amount of work done to date.
If the WTTP hasn’t started planning/preparing for your party when the cancellation is made, our preference would be to try and re-book it for a future date. If we are able to successfully reschedule, but there is a still financial loss due to the last minute cancelation, the WTTP would need to charge for this loss.
Can you set up a tea party outdoors?
Of course! We will set up your tea party anywhere you’d like, as long as it’s safe and legal!
What if I have to cancel my party a week before the scheduled date?
Normally, preparations begin within the week prior to a party. If you are able to cancel before we have started preparations, then we can offer a full refund if we are unable to reschedule your party.
I have some china and other items that you might like – do you accept donations or do you buy china?
All of our afternoon tea inventory has come from people who have either sold or donated their goods to a thrift store or to us directly. We would be happy to accept your donation or take a look at what you have and make you an offer. Please note that we don’t pay premium prices for the china we receive. For example, to most we would pay for a tea cup and saucer is $4 when purchasing china. Many have commented that they are thrilled that their china will be used and loved by our guests through our business. We think that’s pretty great too!