
The Vintage Rental Co. (203.517.7442, thevintagerentalco.com) Available in: New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island Inventory includes: China dinner plates and teacups, Depression glasses, and table linens, as well as vintage furniture and props Cost: $150 minimum for 36-hour rental China service for: as many as 300 guests Also offers: styling and set-up service
Photo: Courtesy of The Vintage Rental Co.

Vintage Table Graces (585.705.5301, vintagetablegraces.com) Available in: Upstate New York Inventory includes: China and glass dinner plates, crystal stemware, serving pieces, as well as vintage props China service for: as many as 300 guests Also offers: custom searches
Photo: Courtesy of Vintage Table Graces

New England Vintage (413.464.6064, newenglandvintage.com) Available in: New England and New York CityInventory includes: China dinner, salad, and dessert plates, bowls, teacups, and saucersChina service for: as many as 350Cost: plates range from $1.30 to $1.50 eachAlso offers: styling and set-up service; custom searches
Photo: Courtesy of New England Vintage

Dinner Party (dinnerpartyshop.com)Available in: ChicagoInventory includes: China dinner plates, cocktail glasses, table linens, cake stands, and serving piecesCost: from $1 per item China service for: as many as 250 guests
Photo: Nathan Michael Photography

The Vintage Table Company (310.210.9298, thevintagetableco.com)Available in: Southern CaliforniaInventory includes: dinner plates, glassware, and flatwareCost: from $1 per item China service for: as many as 200 in each of three collections (vintage, rustic, and retro) Also offers: styling and set-up service; custom searches
Photo: Wildflowers Photography

At "Couture and Crumpets," an afternoon tea service and Royal Wedding viewing party at the Four Seasons Chicago last April, a monogrammed chocolate tart, scones with Devonshire cream, and tiers of foie gras sandwiches—allegedly one of Kate Middleton's favorite snacks—lent a British vibe. Tea selections included Earl Grey, mint, and citrus-chamomile.
Photo: Jenny Berg/BizBash

Several hundred shoppers were treated to a free cup of tea when Visit London kicked off its "Only in London" campaign with a complimentary tea party inside New York's Time Warner Center in 2010. Staffing vendor Eye5 provided the models, clad in traditional butler uniforms, to preside over the tea service.
Photo: Courtesy of VisitLondon

At Barbra Streisand's fund-raiser for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center in Malibu, colorful floral arrangements in wooden vases played off the outdoor setting.
Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages

LoLo Event Design offers hand-painted handkerchiefs that can serve as table numbers at a garden event. Geraniums in a terra cotta pot have a more casual feel than an elaborate formal centerpiece.
Photo: Studio Vitri