Is Registering for China a Thing of the Past?

 (Mikasa 'Daylight')

Historically in American culture, one of the first things a newly engaged bride did was to register for her china.  The bride's biggest dilemma was how many pieces to register for; would service for 8 be enough?  Is service for 12 too much?

Times are changing and today's bride is not the same as brides 50 years ago, 20 years ago and even 10 years ago.  Brides are now asking themselves: Do I even need to register for china?

Here are some common reasons that present today's bride with hesitations when deciding whether or not to register for china:

1- She stands to inherit one or more sets from her mother, grandmother, mother-in-law or other relative.

2- She remembers her mother or grandmother's china rarely being used; it was more of a decoration and a space-waster than something practical.  She would rather receive gifts that she could use on a daily basis.

3- Space is at a premium.  Today's bride is getting married later than before and she will be bringing a lot more to the table (no pun intended!).  She may already have a stocked kitchen and basic everyday dinnerware which suits all her needs.

That being said, there are still brides who are making the trip to Macy's with mom to pick out their china.  Today's bride may not need China but she will still register for it because is that what their mother and grandmother did.  She may have had her china pattern picked out since she was a little girl and has been waiting for the day when it is her turn to register.

Here are some patterns that are catching our eye lately:

Vera Wang Wedgewood Blue Duchesse:

Kate Spade June Lane Collection: 

Crate + Barrell Regent Dinnerware:

 

By Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant