Behind the Scenes with Jasmine Williamson of Tea Rose

Tea parties were always an intimate family affair for Nashville native Jasmine Williamson and her daughter, Jaila. Jasmine got Jaila a custom tea set when she was just 4 years old, and their at-home tea parties became a precious mother-daughter ritual. After celebrating Jaila’s seventh birthday with a princess-themed tea party, the pair decided to turn their beloved tradition into a business. After all, “there’s no party like a tea party,” Jasmine says.

Jasmine started Tea Rose in 2021, serving as the brand’s executive experience curator. Jaila became the brand’s “par-tea” princess — and the creative force behind all of its party packages. Since then, Tea Rose has packaged Southern hospitality in a warm teacup, spreading fellowship and fanciness from Chattanooga to Clarksville. 

A good tea party needs two things: community and comfort. The Tea Rose catalog invites you to mix and match services to create a custom tea party for any age group. Growing up during the pandemic also inspired Jaila to bring Tea Rose on the road — beyond Nashville and to as many Tennesseans as possible.

Though Jasmine also works a corporate job, she loves watching her daughter blossom as they run a business together. And as Tea Rose gains more traction, the two are thinking about expanding — and bringing their teatime magic to nearby states.

What experiences does Tea Rose provide?

We specialize in luxury tea experiences on location. We offer full-service tea parties, which include catering, tea party setup, hosting, cleanup and breakdown. [Clients] love for us to come in and do it all. That also includes an etiquette lesson and some different activities for the guests. We offer those services to kids and adults.

I think our experience stands out because we lead with heart. … Our tea parties not only allow you to connect with us, but also with your guests and all the other details that matter to you. … It’s a chance to dress up and connect and really embrace those relationships that we have. 

Why do you bring your experience to your guests instead of having a set location?

The original idea was to have a brick-and-mortar location where we could do the traditional afternoon tea, but then COVID happened. During that time, we pivoted our idea because of my daughter. She said we should just go to people’s homes where they’re comfortable. And [this model] has worked out for us for the last four years.

We cover pretty much all of Middle Tennessee and beyond. I mean, the beautiful part of what we do is that we can travel. So we’ve been to Franklin, Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Clarksville, Memphis, and more. We get to all the surrounding counties.

What’s the difference between high tea and afternoon tea?

Historically, afternoon tea happens during afternoon hours, somewhere between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. High tea is a different version of the tea party experience — it’s a heartier meal. Typically, people assume that high tea means that it’s fancy and luxurious, when in actuality, it’s more commonplace than the afternoon tea experience most people are looking for.

What other assumptions do people make about the teatime experience? I know a big one: A lot of people think pinkies up is truly how you’re supposed to drink tea, and it’s not. So that’s always a fun myth buster. And also how to properly serve tea — not swirling or clinking on your china. There is actually a subtler, softer way to do it … so it doesn’t risk breaking the china.

Do you consider the tradition of tea parties distinctly Southern?

I mean, of course. Fellowship has always been part of Southern culture. … This is just an elevated experience of Southern hospitality. 

The fun part about our packages is that we have the traditional afternoon tea menu, but we also have a Southern flair menu, because I am a Nashville native, and I started this with my kid who would not eat a cucumber sandwich. We can do our chicken tender sliders Nashville hot, along with traditional afternoon tea items, like chicken salad croissants and cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches.

What purpose does teatime serve in modern culture?

The biggest part we focus on is social connection and fellowship, especially in today’s time, where everything gets so fast. Technology is taking over a lot of things and how people engage. So it’s about bringing everything back to the basics. 

We try to have unplugged experiences. That way, people have a chance to [deepen] interpersonal connections. We also have so many adults and children who don’t know simple dining etiquette, so it’s [about] keeping those traditional practices ever-present.