help - should we register for china?

elyse.mike

We are starting our registry at Bed, Bath, & Beyond tomorrow. We talked about what we'd like to register for and would definitely like to have stuff so that we can entertain when we move into a house. We're kind of debating about dishes, though. We'd definitely like to register for "everyday" dinnerware that's nice but casual. We're unsure about whether or not we should register for china. I found a few Kate Spade china patterns through the BBB website that I absolutely fell in love with! So I have a few questions:Is it worthwhile to register for the china if we really like it?
Part of FI's concern is that it's a little pricey and so people may not be inclined to buy it (or at least not very much of it) . . should we not worry about that and just assume if we don't get it we can buy it with wedding money or at a completion event or something?
What items for entertaining did you receive for your wedding that you absolutely love and would recommend? (we'll also be registering at Crate & Barrel)Thanks for the input!!

SuMmErKuTiE

We registered for fine china because we know we'll use it. I love to cook and entertain so we knew it would benefit us, and we will remember every time we use the china that they were wedding gifts from x amount of family and friends. If you and FI see yourselves putting the china to good use then register for it! But if it may never really be touched then you may as well register for other things that would be put to better use.

We registered for our fine china at BBB, just like you I fell in love with a Kate Spade set. As for every day dishes, we registered for those at Crate & Barrel.

mandybear7

Just a warning about BBB and china... not all of the stores carry the china stock, so if guests wants to buy it, sometimes they have to pay for shipping instead of taking it home with them.

pandasquishy

If you think you'll use it then yes, you should register for it because it's probably not something you would just go out and buy for yourself.  If you pick a pattern that will be sticking around for awhile then you can buy what you didn't receive over time to spread out the cost.  

We registered for Lenox Opal Innocence which is one of their most popular and they won't be discontinuing it.  We only got two place settings and none of the serving pieces, so we'll be buying it piecemeal over time and maybe asking for pieces for Christmas, too.

janedoe1113a

We didn't register for china because there were more important things that we needed.  I didn't want people buying us china instead of the useful stuff on our register.  We don't think we'll use china too terribly much and if we figure out down the road we need it, we'll buy it ourselves.  Right now, I'm more concerned with getting stuff that we need.

DanielleD7782

We are in the same boat on trying to decide...we decided no and here is why: FMIL was helping us decided about this and she asked this question: "If you are going to host friends or family over which would you rather use? Would you get the china out or would you want to use the trendier type plates from Crate & Barrel?" Ultimately, we decided we would use the C&B plates over the china...my FI was like what if I break a plate? Then we are out $60! We told the FMIL we would like to have her china willed to us since his sister got china for her wedding.

A great thing I found to register for was metal serveware. It is called Wilton Armetale Boston Large Oval Tray. It also has other matching pieces. It will hold temperatures...so say you want to thaw out some burgers...run the tray under hot water for awhile then set the frozen meat on the tray....it thaws out faster. Also you can put some of the dipping bowls in the fridge/freezer to stay cold for dips, salads, etc. I'm really excited about these pieces! They also have a really nice look for serving.

kristinanddan

Which Kate Spade patterns do you like? We have a mix of Pinney's Beach, Nag's Head, and St Kitts and we love them. We use them every day, but they are definitely pretty enough to use for special occassions as well.

stefani103

Our families aren't big spenders, but we did want china. We decided to register for simple white bone china that is both dishwasher and microwave safe. We are getting less-expensive, and more-fun serving pieces that I can justify switching out every few years or when we move/change decor/find cheesy holiday pieces/etc.

elyse.mike

Thanks for the help : ) We ended up registering for a mid-price bone china by Mikasa (I changed my mind about the Kate Spade because the part of the display that I really loved didn't actually come as part of the set). We picked something that has a little bit of decoration and is contemporary but classic. We figure there's no harm in registering for it and if someone buys it for us, that's great. If not we can buy it for a discount at a completion event or something. What it came down to is we definitely wanted to get it and didn't think it was likely that we'd go buy it for ourselves a few years down the road. We'll probably register for casual dinnerware at crate and barrel. Thanks again!

EmCher

Well you have to know which stores carry the fine china. Not all of them do. Smaller ones won't have it, but they can normally direct you to a local store who does.

Not to mention, name one store where you dont have to pay shipping on an item?
Macys charges also, and then if you return it they take away a restocking fee. BBB is way better. Just ask them which patterns are popular and instock. Guaranteed they will point to 75% of them.

Plus certain vendors such as Kate Spade wont allow the stores to stock their china all the time.

janedoe1113a

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_should-register-china-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:eba85287-bb8e-465c-b7a8-7de26bf74231Post:eebc5fad-fa7c-4753-bafe-5a539b371039">Re: help - should we register for china?</a>:
[QUOTE]Well you have to know which stores carry the fine china. Not all of them do. Smaller ones won't have it, but they can normally direct you to a local store who does. <strong>Not to mention, name one store where you dont have to pay shipping on an item?</strong> Macys charges also, and then if you return it they take away a restocking fee. BBB is way better. Just ask them which patterns are popular and instock. Guaranteed they will point to 75% of them. Plus certain vendors such as Kate Spade wont allow the stores to stock their china all the time.
Posted by EmCher[/QUOTE]

There are a lot of stores that you don't have to pay shipping...