How to Choose Your Wedding China for Your Registry

One of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process is getting to register for your wedding china. However, if your only dinnerware shopping experience has been IKEA, it can also be intimidating. Several factors go into choosing your perfect wedding china that you might encounter while shopping for your registry.  

If you’re registering for your wedding dinnerware set and feeling a little overwhelmed, try not to worry! In this article, we will explain the different factors that go into choosing the best wedding china options for your registry.

1. Different types of wedding china
2. Consider function
3. How many place settings?
4. Wedding china extras to consider
5. Styles and patterns of wedding china

1. Different types of wedding china

Before you set out to choose the wedding china for your registry, it’s important to understand the various types. The term “china” was originally derived from the term historically being applied to higher quality porcelain being imported to Europe and other regions from China. However, the term is now generally used as a broad title to include all dinnerware. This includes dinnerware of various materials and varying quality such as:

• Earthenware
• Stoneware
• Porcelain or fine china
• Bone china 

2. Consider function

When selecting wedding china, it’s important to consider the function. Are you looking for dinnerware that’s formal for special occasions or casual for everyday use? It is generally advised that you register for two sets of wedding china dinnerware – one inexpensive set for everyday use and the other set for special occasions that is typically more expensive. Not only is it fun to get to use this more expensive wedding china for holidays and other events, but it also can be an heirloom-quality gift you pass on to your children.

3. How many place settings?

Next, you need to decide how many place settings of wedding china you need. Typically, you should register for a set of either 8 or 12 place settings. You might be able to get away with 8 if you have a small family and don’t entertain often. However, if you have a rather large family or plan on having lots of kids in the future, it might be worth it to go with 12. This could also be the best option if you ever consider hosting holiday gatherings in the future, or enjoy hosting family and friends in your home in general.

4. Wedding china extras to consider

In the height of the formal dinner hospitality of the 1950s (or if you were a resident of Downton Abbey or aboard the Titanic), you might be obliged to register for a full spectrum of wedding fine china pieces including:

• 10” Dinner plates
• 7” Tea or salad plates
• 5” Bread and butter plates
• Teacups and saucers
• Cream soup bowls and stands
• 10” Meat platter
• 14” Meat platter
• 9” Open Vegetable baking dish
• Sauceboat and stand
• Covered sugar bowl
• Creamer

However, in modern times a casual, everyday dinner set might simply include: a dinner plate, salad or dessert plate, soup bowl, and mug. A more formal dinner set could include the same pieces as a casual set with the addition of a bread plate and saucer for the cup. Once you have these basic pieces to complete your set, you might also consider adding some of those extra serving pieces to enhance your fine china set. 

Also, once you register for your wedding china, you can then also consider your flatware to make sure it matches or compliments your fine china set. 

5. Styles and patterns of wedding china

The most exciting part about choosing the wedding china for your registry might be deciding on the style and pattern. While all of the options might seem overwhelming, it’s important to keep in mind that the style and pattern you choose should reflect your unique personality and personal tastes. Fortunately, this means you can’t go wrong! 

The market is saturated with a wide array and variety of shapes, patterns, and colors to suit all tastes. Among all of the options besides plain white, there are generally four basic design pattern categories for fine china, from which other patterns might originate:

• Floral china, featuring flowers and even sometimes animals.
• Geometric china featuring rigid, geometric patterns and lines
• Banded china is colorless china embossed with a silver, gold, or otherwise colored metal rim
• Oriental china, which features Asian-style patterns

Traditionally, your fine china would be a cohesive, matching set. However, in modern times, it is entirely okay to feel free to mix and match or blend styles and patterns within your collection if you have an eclectic personality.

Love this content and want more? Read more about wedding planning on our blog. Are you helping to plan a wedding and still need to nail down a venue? Give us a call to schedule a tour and see why Jennings Trace might be your perfect place.