Temps below 65, a chilly coastal breeze, and Christmas time. It sounds like the perfect recipe for building a snowman, right?
But, wait! Where’s the snow?
Hahaha! Okay. Okay. So maybe we are missing one little thing…snow! But this past weekend there was plenty of “snow” and “frozen” activities at the Gulf Coast Mom’s Snowflake Tea.
The Snowflake Tea was hosted four times over two days. My girls and I had the pleasure of being invited to the Sunday afternoon tea time.
The Perfect Setting
Each event was held at the Chapel on the grounds of the spectacular new Centennial Plaza.
The Snowflake Tea was my first visit to Centennial and I was blown away! If you haven’t taken the opportunity to at least drive around the grounds, you should! The plaza sits on 48-acres and houses hotels, a huge water playground, restaurants, and 10 renovated buildings from its early military years. It’s very impressive!
It’s All in the Details
We pulled onto the resort grounds and were immediately greeted by a huge welcome sign and visions of snowy wonder. The girls ooh-ed and ahh-ed as we looped the fountain square to the parking lot next to the Chapel. While the event was geared towards the kids and all the fun they would have, moms were certainly not forgotten.
Safety measures were taken to ensure each family’s health and wellbeing during the event. Temperature checks were taken at the check-in desk, hand sanitizer was provided at all activity stations and families were separated into groups to allow for a safe and socially distant afternoon.
Our group’s first activity was in the Chapel for food, drinks, and photos. I don’t know who was more excited once we entered the Chapel, the girls, or me! It was absolutely gorgeous! There was no detail left unturned. From the ceilings to the floor, every inch of the renovated historic Chapel was sporting snowy, icy wonder.
Tables were decked out the way you would expect any good formal tea to be. White linens and frosty blue ribbon draped round tables set with bright white chairs. Snow laden tree branches where beautiful centerpieces that sparkled as the sunlight peeped through the windows. And each place setting had its own pocket spray sanitizer thanks to Memorial Hospital.
Our first Storybook character encounter was during our tea time in the Chapel. As guests filtered in and found their tables, Anna graced the room with songs and chatted with each little prince and princess.
There was so much to see and do in the Chapel but the first thing the girls chose to do was dive into the swag bags. White paper bags filled with hot cocoa bombs from Dolce Bakeshop, a few crafts, and sponsor swag.
With all their goodies laid out on the table, they knew it was time to build a snowman from Educate & Celebrate. She also makes these precious snowmen for classroom gifts for your child’s friends! Now, I’m not sure if they decided to go avant-garde on their creations or if they just ate too many snowman (marshmallow) parts in the process. From the marshmallow snowmen, we moved on to building sugar cube ice castles provided by Sweet Magnolia Event Coordinating.
“Snow” Fun
After a little time playing in the “snow”, we ventured over to the photo booth. Snaparazzi was set up with a green-screen and gifted each family their own photo-op in front of Elsa’s ice palace. You even had the option to send a digital photo to your phone! (Facebook and Insta ready folks!)
By this time we had all worked up an appetite. Any true tea time isn’t complete without finger sandwiches and petit fours. We had both! Plus, warm and gooey mac & cheese! The tea was southern ice tea, but most opted for lemonade from the fountain with fresh strawberries mixed in. The girls approved of all the delicious foods from the buffet. (Oh, and mom and dad could totally opt for a brunch-time bubbly mimosa.)
From tea time, our group moved outside to the Chapel lawn for more activities thanks to Educate & Celebrate and Sweet Southern Party Co. We rotated through tables of crafts, sled races, and a precious Christmas themed teepee photo-opt spot.
Holiday Memories
I really enjoyed watching the girls fill out their letters to Santa. I had to help Cora who is only 4, but Ella, 11, was able to fill in her own prompted wish-list. (Don’t worry, I totally popped those suckers in my purse to sneak another read of later. This Santa doesn’t want to forget anything.)
The girls, on the other hand, I think enjoyed the ornament craft the best. Though, it was a tossup between all the different activities of the day. I believe they would have stayed at that table for an hour delicately placing little crystal gems on their wooden snowflake ornaments if there hadn’t been so much more to see and do.
Our group’s last activity of the afternoon was storytime and sing-along with Anna. We crossed the walkway from the Chapel lawn to the grandiose fountain square where Storybook’s Anna lead a reading of Frozen 2. It was the sweetest thing seeing each family snuggled up to hear a favorite story! At the end of the book, Anna invited each little prince and princess to sing the famous “All Is Found” lullaby with her. The children eagerly followed her to the base of the dancing fountain and she bid each of us adieu.
A Truly Magical Event
The Snowflake Tea was truly a magical event that my family will not forget. The girls haven’t stopped talking about it, yet! For a short moment this weekend, time seemed to slow down. And all in the world became right again. A memory we will forever be grateful for.
Gulf Coast Mom along with all of the generous Mississippi Gulf Coast business sponsors pulled together a memorable event that is sure to be a holiday favorite year after year. And I would love to see you next year!
Share your photos from the event on Facebook and Instagram and tag Gulf Coast Mom {@thegcmom}!
