Once your wedding date is set, all thoughts seem drawn to that one big day. The dress. Flowers. The beginning of your new life together. Even more important, though, is planning for the lifetime that follows. Your wedding gift registry can help. Here’s a practical guide to filling your registry with the right dinnerware to help you live out your dreams.
Are you casual, formal, or both?
Breakfasts in bed. Lunches on the fly. Dinners in the living room, snuggled up on the couch. If this sounds like you, you’re probably planning to add casual dinnerware to your registry. After all, casual diners need casual dinnerware, right? Maybe.
If the look and feel of casual dinnerware fits your style and home decor, then yes, you should definitely add it to your registry. Just be aware that when talking dinnerware, the word “casual” refers to more than just the look. It’s also about the manufacturing process, and, of course, the price.
Compared to fine china, casual dinnerware is thicker. Chunkier. This might lead you to believe casual dishes are more durable. They’re not. In fact, delicate-looking fine china is actually stronger than porcelain and stoneware. Kiln firing at extremely high heat (up to 2000 degrees) makes fine china durable even in thin, almost translucent designs. So that delicate, beautiful china plate can withstand much more wear than the heavier casual plate.
Are you convinced yet that fine china is the way to go? Keep reading, because there’s more to this decision than beauty and durability.
Cost is a factor, even when it’s a gift.
The manufacturing process that adds beauty and durability to fine china also adds to its cost. Cost might not seem like much of a factor in your wedding registry. After all, you’re registering for gifts! It may become more of a factor, though, as you complete your registry, buying for yourselves any remaining pieces you haven’t received. It’s also a factor when replacing pieces that chip or break over the years.
Cost is the main reason owners of fine china reserve it for special occasions. If you’re prone to dropping dishes or plan to share many meals with young children, you would be wise to have a casual set of dinnerware on hand. Like to change up your home décor? The low cost of casual plates makes swapping out designs easier too. That’s a benefit to those of us inclined to redecorate often.
How many settings? Plan for family.
In the immediate future, your mealtimes all might be cozy two-somes. One day, that’s going to change. Who knows how big your family will grow, not to mention the circle of friends you could entertain?
To know how many place settings you’ll need, consider the family events you attend now. On both sides. One day, all of your new extended family could be attending holiday meals at your home (admiring your beautiful dishes, of course). Our registry team suggests having eight place settings on hand for casual dining, and 12 settings for holidays and special occasions. So even if you’re planning to save that fine china for the holidays, you’ll still want to make sure you have enough on hand to fill the table.
Visit Belk.com Wedding Registry to read more about china and other dinnerware, or visit with a wedding registry specialist at your local Belk.
Happy shopping, and congratulations!
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