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Designing a Beautiful Table Setting
By Kristen Waghorne
The wedding registry is the perfect opportunity to
choose the dining ware of your dreams at little
personal cost. Registering for gifts is a lot of
fun, but can be stressful as well. Most importantly
the bride and groom should make the time to really
think about their entertaining preferences. Although
many couples already have the servingware basics,
this is a chance to design your table to sparkle and
shine. Additionally, the bridal registry benefits
family and friends who would like to give gifts that
will be practical and useful in the new couple’s
home.
Before heading off to the department store, sit down
with your partner and discuss each of these five
questions in order to determine your kitchen
improvement needs.
1. What kitchen items do you already own? Do any of
these items need to be replaced?
2. Do you entertain frequently? What style of
entertaining do you prefer?
3. Do you own a home? If not, are you planning to
buy a home in the future?
4. Do you and your spouse share a common interest or
hobby? Will you need specific items to pursue this
hobby?
5. What type of lifestyle do you have? Do you aspire
to live differently?
In order to select the china, casual dinnerware, and
flatware for your serving requirements, you should
define your personal style. The rule for interior
design is that your home should reflect your
individual tastes. You may be drawn to bright colors
and floral patterns or, perhaps, neutral colors and
textures combined with clean lines. Even if you
favor romantic and soft fabrics or antique items;
there is a china, plate ware, and flatware pattern
that is just right for your home.
Once you have a sense of the style you prefer in
your serving ware pattern, take an afternoon with
your spouse and begin piecing together an exquisite
set for entertaining guests. Choose a department
store for your wedding registry that has a
knowledgeable and helpful staff. The wedding guests
will be appreciative if the bridal registry is
available online for those who cannot make it to the
store.
Recently, many national department stores have made
the bridal registry selections accessible over the
Internet. Although this is very convenient for busy
couples, it is generally wise to pick out your
plateware in person where you may see and feel the
collection.
Formal Dinnerware
Begin your bridal registry by selecting the china
pattern first. The china plateware sets the tone for
the entire table setting.
There are three types of china: earthenware,
porcelain, and bone china. China clay is the central
ingredient that composes china. Porcelain is fired
at the very high temperature of 1300°C and, due to
glassy elements in its contents, possesses
translucent characteristics. Bone china is comprised
of 50% animal bone. The bone, combined with the
china clay, creates white coloration and highly
apparent translucency. The most common dinnerware,
earthenware, is usually fired several times
depending on the decorative elements. Earthenware is
used for informal entertaining and is relatively
inexpensive.
If you are planning to host formal dining events in
your home, you should choose between porcelain and
bone china. Initially, you will want to decide which
colors catch your eye. Once the color palette is
chosen, begin focusing on the plate shape. Flat
rimmed (a simple, round plate with a rim), Coupe
(recessed, no rim), or Square and Octagonal are some
of the more trendy options.
Determine the quality of your china by holding the
plate up to the light. The plate is designed from
porcelain or bone china if you can see the shadow of
your hand through the plate. The color should be
transparent, smooth, and lustrous. Check each plate
for lumps and cracks. Before purchasing, appraise
the balance of each piece in the collection. Fine
china will be pure-white or creamy ivory, if the
china has a slight gray cast, it is not high
quality.
Think ahead when selecting the individual place
settings; you will never know when your party of
eight turns into twelve at the last moment.
Depending on the scale at which you plan to
entertain, eight to twelve place settings should
accommodate your dining needs. A single place
setting consists of five pieces: dinner plate, salad
or dessert plate, bread and butter plate, and a
teacup with saucer.
Benefits of White
China
The simplicity and elegant beauty of white china is
often overlooked by brides who are distracted by the
brightly colored styles of traditional,
contemporary, banded, or floral designed china.
However, white china is basic and adaptable and will
fit every dining scenario. White china can be used
in any social situation, from family dinners to
formal holiday parties.
Today, there are many choices in white china
available to brides. White-on-white patterns and
borders may be glazed on the rim of the plate, along
with stripes, dots, flowers, and vines. Brides can
select the design of white china, as with any other
item on the bridal registry, based on their
personality. Over time, the bride will find it’s
easy to mix and match various serving pieces with
white as the common theme.
Casual Dinnerware
A big decision for the bride and groom is selecting
their casual dinnerware. This is the set that most
people use on a daily basis and even more frequently
for family dinners. Keep in mind that the dinnerware
you select should be dishwasher safe to avoid the
hassles of hand-washing.
Besides casual china, there are three types of
casual dinnerware: semi-porcelain, stoneware, and
earthenware.
Semi-porcelain: a hard body ceramic that is
translucent in appearance; fired at a high
temperature enables it to be chip-resistant; perfect
for everyday use and formal dining.
Stoneware: consists of clay mixed with ground stone
which gives it a textured feel; stoneware is
non-porous and water-resistant.
Earthenware: created from a mixture of clays;
usually contains painted designs and bright colors;
generally requires hand-washing.
Flatware
Along with your crystal stemware, flatware is the
perfect accessory to your beautiful table setting.
Brides may choose from sterling silver,
silver-plate, or gold accented flatware. Whichever
pattern you decide, your flatware should decorate
and augment your crystal and china pieces.
The rule for selecting flatware is a simple
two-to-one rule: if your china and crystal are
ornate, choose simple flatware; if the china and
crystal are more basic, try an elaborate silver
pattern.
Most couples purchase flatware in the standard
American sizes. However, it has become more popular
to buy the large sizes, referred to as dinner sizes.
Register for formal and casual flatware. Sterling
silver or silver-plate is ideal for formal dining
and stainless steel is best for daily use.
Perform quality control when choosing your flatware
pattern by asking yourself the following questions:
What is the finish on the pieces? Is the finish the
same on all the pieces? Can you see the join on the
knife? (You will not be able to see the join if the
piece is made correctly.) How does the piece feel
when you hold it?
The basis of your flatware collection is a four
piece place setting: salad fork, place fork, place
knife, and teaspoon. It’s wise to register for at
least twelve place settings just in case of lost or
broken pieces. Also, don’t forget to select
accessory pieces, such as a soup ladle, cake server,
and a serving spoon and fork.
Your registry doesn’t have to be completed in a day,
be sure to explore your options. Allow your registry
choices to be influenced by your individuality and
personal style. Take pleasure in creating the most
beautiful table setting for your family to enjoy for
years to come.
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