Many of my beautiful fall brides have registered, are registering, or are about to register and I got this question from 4 of them: "Do I have to register for China?" My answer, "This is a personal preference. Ask your self this: If you could have very, very expensive shoes...say 30-50 times more than you would pay for regular shoes...that sat in your closet that you were only going to wear once or twice a year,... that may go out of style but may not, ... may not match anything in your wardrobe in 10 years but regardless will still look fabulous, ....and all in all are absolutely stunning, ....would you be ok with that?" One bride said "Hell Yes! Are they Christian Louboutin??" Haha, I love my brides, but the other 3 said "Nahh, Thanks, I get it".
China is a personal preference. Your mother probably registered for it, your mother-in-law probably registered for it, but that doesn't mean you have to. My Mom and Mom-in-law both have gorgeous patterns of China that I see once a year, if that. However, when they come out to play on the table, it looks gorgeous. When my husband and I registered, we discussed that I wasn't keen on the idea (well more like he said, "wait, we are taking about designer…dishes??") and decided we would rather register for a very nice set of dinnerware and a lot of other stuff. This was my personal preference and may not be not everyone's. Personally, at my shower I didn't want to open a $75 gravy boat, after a $45 tea cup and saucer, after a $300 place setting that I'll put away and not be able to use. I did like alot I saw, but it just wasn't me. Not to mention, I wanted to have fun! I wanted to open up new wine glasses I could use that night... I wanted to awkwardly unwrap lingerie in front of my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law for their son/brother to see me in and laugh... and, of course, wanted to scan every thing Martha Stewart had out.
We chose a white, beaded edge pattern called Viva by Espana (by Eva Mendes) that would go with every color when I redecorate the house (which is often). It has been over 2 years now since I received them (wow, my anniversary is coming up soon!) and I am 100% so happy we did. They are elegant enough for a dinner party, yet casual enough for everyday use. I like elegant, yet plain dishes because I like to have table runners, print cloth napkins, cake stands,…if you are one of my brides, you know I love a crowded table.
With that said, of course, some of you may want to register for China. If it is something you want, go ahead and register! Again, a personal preference. There are gorgeous patterns that will glam your table up like a magazine. Not to mention, something wonderful you can look forward to using. Look at the patterns in Bloomies and the patterns Kate Spade has out...I mean they are 'weak at the knees' gorgeous.
Either way, ladies, when registering for $3.00/plate or a $300 /plate dinnerware, one rule: Take your husband-to-be. It's a long day and it's a day he probably isn't looking forward to, but make sure he comes. So many couples have a ball! Take pictures, try on the baker's hats, have lunch at a cafe in between stores, ask his opinion, kiss and hug…this is definitely a memory worth making together!
