Wedding Gift Registry Tips
What to Look For When Choosing China, Stemware and Flatware
Advice on how to select china, stemware and flatware for your bridal gift registry.
Setting up a wedding gift registry means making choices that may last you a lifetime. So it helps to be as informed as possible. Here are some things to know when choosing dining items for your registry.
Dinnerware
Formal china dinnerware can be made from either fine bone china or fine china. Fine bone is the best you can get in terms of quality because it is strong and doesn’t chip. Porcelain is a good option if you want dishes that can be used for both formal dining and everyday. There is not really a price difference between fine bone china, fine china or even porcelain. In fact, price seems to have more to do with pattern than with the material the dish is made from. More casual dinnerware would be made from stoneware, earthenware or glass. Always check the bottom of the dish to see whether it can go in the dishwasher, microwave or freezer.
You will typically want to get at least ten place settings as that will cover off time in between washings and if a piece breaks. With china and porcelain you will find that the place settings themselves and the basic pieces are not too expensive, but rather it is the add-ons that are usually costly, such as vegetable platters, gravy boats, and sugar bowls. In fact, a sugar bowl may cost you the same as a five-piece place setting.
Bowl size and cup size are also personal preference as they are the two pieces that are not standard size and differ with each pattern. You can go with a pattern for your dinnerware, but white is always considered a safe choice because it is classic, can go with any décor, and you can easily mix and match it with other dishes. China can be rimmed in 22-karat gold or platinum for added elegance, but it can not go in the dishwasher or microwave.
Stemware
Top of the line stemware is usually hand cut, full lead crystal, which is lead glass that has been hand cut with detailed facets. Lead oxide is added to give the crystal more sparkle and sheen and makes it more difficult to break or chip. Since some people feel that lead is dangerous and may leach out of the glass into the liquid, they are opting for stemware made from titanium crystal, magnesium crystal or plain glass. As with china, you can also get stemware rimmed in either gold or platinum. If you do opt for high end crystal stemware, you will also want to select a set of less expensive glass stemware for more casual use. Avoid lightweight, flared top wine glasses, as wine tends to easily spill out with any movement of the hand. A heavier, bowl shaped wine glass is a better choice.
Flatware
You can get flatware in sterling silver or silver plate, which is the high end where you will pay anywhere from $150 to $700 for a five-piece set consisting of a dinner fork, salad fork, soup spoon, teaspoon and knife. As such, most people opt for stainless steel which is much more reasonably priced. If you want a very ornate, detailed pattern, then you would have to go with sterling as the other finishes are not soft enough to be molded.
When buying stainless steel flatware, you may see numbers such as 18/10 or 18/8 stainless steel. The first number is the percentage of chromium and the second number is the percentage of nickel. The higher the numbers are, the more resistant the material is to corrosion, and the longer it will last. You can get flatware with a gold, polished or matte finish. The matte finish won’t dull, and doesn’t require polishing.
When selecting a design, make sure the heads of the soup spoons are not too small for your husband, or too big that they feel more like serving spoons. Also, you have to decide how sharp you want the knives to be as with some sets the knife is quite dull. The biggest thing with flatware is does it feel good in your hand, which means you may not want to decide on a set based just on a picture.
Choosing the items for your registry can be a tedious process. Hopefully these suggestions help make it easier. Please see more of my wedding articles.
