"I don't like the dishes you picked, so I bought you different ones"

badbnagdway

southernbelle0915 said:

badbnagdway said:

southernbelle0915 said:

We didn't register for fancy china because we have no place to put it right now. I mean, we could stack it on the basement shelves but china deserves better than that.

When we bought our dining room furniture, we held off on the buffet because Pottery Barn's stuff is kind of bulky and it was too much. Well, we ended up ordering it and it arrives tomorrow. Yay!

So I'm on the fence between wanting to fill it with sexy bone china and logically realizing that we'll use it only 1 or 2 times a year.

My everyday is the Lenox china I posted above, and it is bone china. It is very durable and the pattern is casual enough to use all the time or at a dinner party. Only one of the plates has broken in the 7 years I've had it, and that was FI just flat out dropping an accent plate on the floor one day. If you entertain, you may use the china more than you think. 

That's a good thought. I'd definitely want durable stuff like that if we ended up buying some. We already have everyday stuff we really like though. And it works well for the dinner parties we throw.

If we get bone china, I want it to be super fancy bone china - stuff I would never use day to day. Which would result in probably using it once or twice a year. Which in my mind = clutter. Also, DH doesn't want it because, in his mind, we have plates - why do we need more plates? 

Yeah, this is fair. And truly fine china sometimes does have hand painting and details that can rub off over time. Limoges does this a bit, for example. 

[Deleted User]

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KatieinBkln

Cookie Pusher said:

Cookie Pusher said:

We're big Lenox fans. There's a warehouse near us, so we hit up their big sales with coupons in hand. I have currently have service for 12 (dinner plate, salad plate, accent plate, bread plate, soup plate, teacup, saucer) and extras of the dinner plates and salad plates. I got them during a huge sale with a coupon - came out to just over $200. I never bothered buying any of the over-priced serving pieces because my plain white ones from BB&B do just fine.

We have a huge set of Gorham Christmas china too that is still in the boxes they came in. Maybe I'll break them out eventually.

Is there really? That's good to know!

We aren't registering for fancy China (nowhere to put it, no dining room to host decent-sized dinner parties), but I imagine that sometime down the line we might be interested in buying our own. I love Lenox. I'm kind of obsessed with their Christmas pattern (although if I'm nixing regular fancy China, I have a feeling themed China is a loooong way off, ha!)

Cookie Pusher

KatieinBkln said:

Is there really? That's good to know!

We aren't registering for fancy China (nowhere to put it, no dining room to host decent-sized dinner parties), but I imagine that sometime down the line we might be interested in buying our own. I love Lenox. I'm kind of obsessed with their Christmas pattern (although if I'm nixing regular fancy China, I have a feeling themed China is a loooong way off, ha!)

I buy serving pieces in that pattern for DH's uncle for Christmas. They host, so we figure it's not the worst thing for them to have extra chip/dip/snack bowls and platters to scatter around the house when everyone is over.

In case anyone didn't know, Lenox has a lot of everyday patterns too. They also have Kate Spade New York and Donna Karen among their more casual lines. I used to buy my Department 56 houses but I haven't seen any there in a while.

I've had a lot of friends register for Lenox patterns over the years. When money was lean, we'd typically will go off-registry for showers by getting coordinating pieces from the pattern they choose - vases, picture frames, candlesticks, etc. That way, we could buy a lot more stuff for the same money but we knew what we got still fit the couples' tastes.

(Did I fix the damn boxes???)

badbnagdway

KatieinBkln said:

Cookie Pusher said:

Cookie Pusher said:

We're big Lenox fans. There's a warehouse near us, so we hit up their big sales with coupons in hand. I have currently have service for 12 (dinner plate, salad plate, accent plate, bread plate, soup plate, teacup, saucer) and extras of the dinner plates and salad plates. I got them during a huge sale with a coupon - came out to just over $200. I never bothered buying any of the over-priced serving pieces because my plain white ones from BB&B do just fine.

We have a huge set of Gorham Christmas china too that is still in the boxes they came in. Maybe I'll break them out eventually.

Is there really? That's good to know!

We aren't registering for fancy China (nowhere to put it, no dining room to host decent-sized dinner parties), but I imagine that sometime down the line we might be interested in buying our own. I love Lenox. I'm kind of obsessed with their Christmas pattern (although if I'm nixing regular fancy China, I have a feeling themed China is a loooong way off, ha!)

I love that Christmas pattern too. My mom has some of it. Part of the reason I registered for the Eternal was because I figured we could mix in some of the Christmas pattern over time. 

banana468

I have that Christmas pattern!   I love that you can buy the dishes alone and not by place setting.   

And we may pick up hosting duties for Christmas this year and I can't WAIT to use my pretty China for it.

FWIW, we also use the China anytime we have a decent family crowd for a celebratory occasion and the guests are able to cut their own meat. 

KatieinBkln

banana468 said:

I have that Christmas pattern!   I love that you can buy the dishes alone and not by place setting.   

And we may pick up hosting duties for Christmas this year and I can't WAIT to use my pretty China for it.

FWIW, we also use the China anytime we have a decent family crowd for a celebratory occasion and the guests are able to cut their own meat. 

At my parents' place, the Christmas china IS the everyday China from the day after Christmas to Epiphany. I love it!

theartistformerlyknownas

banana468 said:

I have that Christmas pattern!   I love that you can buy the dishes alone and not by place setting.   

And we may pick up hosting duties for Christmas this year and I can't WAIT to use my pretty China for it.

FWIW, we also use the China anytime we have a decent family crowd for a celebratory occasion and the guests are able to cut their own meat. 

Not a Christmas pattern, but this was one of the reasons we registered for the fine china pattern we did - it came as individual plates so it was a much more approachable price point. Didn't end up mattering much since one person bought all 12 dinner plates, another bought all 12 soup plates, and another bought all 12 salad plates. But I didn't think it was reasonable to expect one friend to buy a $75 place setting, PLUS we have no use for teeny teacups. Our families are 16oz coffee mug people.

banana468

lolo883 said:

banana468 said:

I have that Christmas pattern!   I love that you can buy the dishes alone and not by place setting.   

And we may pick up hosting duties for Christmas this year and I can't WAIT to use my pretty China for it.

FWIW, we also use the China anytime we have a decent family crowd for a celebratory occasion and the guests are able to cut their own meat. 

Not a Christmas pattern, but this was one of the reasons we registered for the fine china pattern we did - it came as individual plates so it was a much more approachable price point. Didn't end up mattering much since one person bought all 12 dinner plates, another bought all 12 soup plates, and another bought all 12 salad plates. But I didn't think it was reasonable to expect one friend to buy a $75 place setting, PLUS we have no use for teeny teacups. Our families are 16oz coffee mug people.

My mom and grandma love their tea cups and saucers.   Irish tea time is a big deal.    I can still hear my late grandfather yelling out that the Kettle is boilin!  

flantastic

lolo883 said:

banana468 said:

I have that Christmas pattern!   I love that you can buy the dishes alone and not by place setting.   

And we may pick up hosting duties for Christmas this year and I can't WAIT to use my pretty China for it.

FWIW, we also use the China anytime we have a decent family crowd for a celebratory occasion and the guests are able to cut their own meat. 

Not a Christmas pattern, but this was one of the reasons we registered for the fine china pattern we did - it came as individual plates so it was a much more approachable price point. Didn't end up mattering much since one person bought all 12 dinner plates, another bought all 12 soup plates, and another bought all 12 salad plates. But I didn't think it was reasonable to expect one friend to buy a $75 place setting, PLUS we have no use for teeny teacups. Our families are 16oz coffee mug people.

I really liked that with ours we could register for particular items, albeit not individually - they came in sets of 4 (4 dinner plates, 4 salad bowls, 4 soup bowls, etc.). That put a set at a $40 and $50 price point. We did end up getting teacups because we will use them at times, but I liked that that could be our last priority - we didn't even add them to the registry until the other stuff had been bought.

blabla89

ChemFanatic25 said:

banana468 said:

larrygaga said:

My family is too big for that. We end up with paper plates even during the holidays!!! Whenever we entertain, it's usually a room full of drunks and I really don't have room in my life for fancy.

Ha.

Maybe someday when I grow up a little.

I'm in a family of women who LOVE their China.   My aunt has multiple patterns.   It's just how she rolls.   Having Christmas dinner?   There's a pattern for that?   Easter?   Pattern for that.   Winter luncheon?   Pattern for that.   And note: they are all lovely.   The pattern used for Easter is just pale spring tones as the border.   And my Aunt uses her China even at some picnics.   We're crazy like that.

In DH's family, there are so many of us (like 3 LARGE tables for Easter) that the Easter dishes are plain white but they still use silver.

is this something where you should register for fancy china? I had a friend register for it along with crystal glasses and I asked if she planned on using it for an upcoming special event and she said no, she probably won't ever really use it except for on really really special occasions. O.o I don't understand that, but maybe it is a tradition and expected of each couple?

It is definitely not expected or required. There's no need to register for something that you don't want and won't use. I know some people think of china as an heirloom or choose a specific pattern to be "their" pattern, but if china isn't your thing, then don't register for it. Personally, I would much rather gift someone an appliance that will get used every week than a place setting that will mostly just sit in a cabinet.

badbnagdway

blabla89 said:

ChemFanatic25 said:

banana468 said:

larrygaga said:

My family is too big for that. We end up with paper plates even during the holidays!!! Whenever we entertain, it's usually a room full of drunks and I really don't have room in my life for fancy.

Ha.

Maybe someday when I grow up a little.

I'm in a family of women who LOVE their China.   My aunt has multiple patterns.   It's just how she rolls.   Having Christmas dinner?   There's a pattern for that?   Easter?   Pattern for that.   Winter luncheon?   Pattern for that.   And note: they are all lovely.   The pattern used for Easter is just pale spring tones as the border.   And my Aunt uses her China even at some picnics.   We're crazy like that.

In DH's family, there are so many of us (like 3 LARGE tables for Easter) that the Easter dishes are plain white but they still use silver.

is this something where you should register for fancy china? I had a friend register for it along with crystal glasses and I asked if she planned on using it for an upcoming special event and she said no, she probably won't ever really use it except for on really really special occasions. O.o I don't understand that, but maybe it is a tradition and expected of each couple?

It is definitely not expected or required. There's no need to register for something that you don't want and won't use. I know some people think of china as an heirloom or choose a specific pattern to be "their" pattern, but if china isn't your thing, then don't register for it. Personally, I would much rather gift someone an appliance that will get used every week than a place setting that will mostly just sit in a cabinet.

Again, it probably depends on the people, but to me even the "good stuff" is meant to be used. I have a set of Waterford wine and water goblets as well as a Waterford ice bucket. We have them displayed over our bar area in the kitchen and we use them every time we drink wine, even if we don't have company. They are far sturdier than regular wine glasses. I have knocked a couple of them over which produced a big clanging sound but no damage was done to the glass (I break glasses in general with startling regularity). Admittedly, I did not pay full retail price for that set, I bought them at a charity auction, but it has truly made me unafraid to use crystal regularly. 

[Deleted User]

lurkergirl said:

Hey shit feely....I think an edit is needed

FINALLY got it to delete.

fitvegan

larrygaga said:

Actually, what was said to me

"Nobody uses wedding registry anyway! Tell everyone not to buy you those dishes from your registry, I found better ones".

My shower is in a few weeks!!! 

I'll post the pics of what I registered for, because I'm obsessed. We need a thread where we post china/dinnerware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What do you guys have?

LOVE them!! I remember seeing them at Macy's and almost registered for similar! People DO use your registry and if they don't just take them back!

kao2015

I love China! This is our set, except we also have a coordinating platinum-colored charger and bread and butter plate. We got almost everything else for the wedding, but the chargers are going to take a long while to finish purchasing because they're the most expensive.
I do plan on using these A LOT. I love hosting people for dinners and will use the dinner plates even if it's just my parents-in-law coming over.

I can't imagine telling someone they basically picked out the wrong China. It's just such a personal decision. I was a little afraid H's grandmother was going to do this (she's very...opinionated), but she refrained.

KytchynWitche

After the wedding, DH and I bought ourselves some "good" dishes. They're plain white, not fancy at all, and we use them every day, but we really needed to replace the stuff we had been using - the dishes DH first got when he moved out, which was down to about 3 dinner plates, 4 or 5 side plates, and 3 bowls. We have 8 of everything now.