The Sunday before Easter, 24 young girls from Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church became young ladies for the day as they donned Easter hats, dresses and gloves  and attended a tea party at The Woodlands Country Club.

Marcella Mayeur, resident of The Woodlands and member of Spirit of Joy, was hostess for the event.

Mayeur’s Bonnet Belles—ages 4 to 13—chose their own bonnets from a selection purchased by Mayeur just for the occasion. They were also presented with white gloves, a necessity for every fancy tea party.

Then, on Palm Sunday, the girls and their moms were feted with tea, goodies and entertainment. Fellow Belle Taryn Lenert, age 11, sang and played the guitar,  and singer Eric Smith also performed for the ladies.

Karin Schmalz, one of the moms in attendance said, “Girls had ‘tea’ in small teacups and dined on delectable dainties and ended the tea party with a three-tiered dessert tray.  The event was much fun and all the young girls took home a small teapot and ‘dainty holder.’”

How did the tea party come about? Mayeur, who got her first hat

“I always wear a beautiful hat to church,” Mayeur said. “I began to notice how the young girls would come up to me, smile, and say, ‘I love your hat.’”

Those comments triggered the  idea for a tea party. After all, Mayeur thought, what makes a young girl a young lady besides a pretty dress, a pretty hat, a pair of white gloves and a tea party to go to?

“The party was wonderful,” Mayeur said. “The beautiful young ladies loved it, and so did I.”

Mayeur had as much fun as the girls did when they chose their hats. “It was fun to watch the girls in front of a mirror trying on all the hats, not to mention how proud the mothers were to watch their daughters. ”

So, Marcella had her tea party. “I hope that as these young girls grow up to be young ladies, they will always like a tea party —hats and white gloves—and everything that makes a lady a ‘beautiful lady.’”l