I'm bumping this thread for all of the weddings coming up for GCers!

Surely some good Southern ladies have their silver pattern picked out--who gives a damn what that pesky fiance says, anyway?

I'm getting married this summer so I picked out my China and silver this week. My friend says my silver choice indicates that I'm a whore, but I think she's just jealous.

No I think that might be b/c you stole her husband, not b/c of your silver choice. I dunno though, just a guess. ;)

My word, that is beautiful!! And having it in the family makes it all the more special!

PreciousJeni, I feel the same way. We have china and/or silver from the early 1800's - you're almost scared to use it! My mother always points out the dent in the teapot from when it was brought "out of the well"!

But the oddest china we have is a set of dessert dishes from the 1880's. At the bottom of each dish is a beautiful woman in various states of deshabille - from a prim Victorian woman to a longhaired woman with just a gauze-type stole! It was always fun to see which one you got!

http://members.ispwest.com/navane/ro...nchallinor.jpg


I don't have a full set of china; but I do own some pieces. I have coffee and cake service in Royal Doulton "Challinor" pattern. I absolutely adore it. I remember taking a tour of the Royal Doulton factory in Staffordshire, England and seeing that they used Challinor pattern to set the grand table in their showroom. I was so excited to see that they had featured my pattern! Yeah, I'm a dork. :p


.....Kelly :)

If you're in the DC area, and love china, take the Hillwood Museum tour - several times! The Hillwood was the home of Margaret Merriwether Post, who planned the house as a future museum, and it is awesome!! She was married to the Ambassador to the USSR when they were selling off the Crown Jewels (and bought many of them!), was the mother of Dina Merrill, and the only heir to the Post Cereal fortune. There are several vitrines of different colors of jade (one purple, one red, one white, etc); the Hapsburg wedding veil (curse and all), closets that I would just love to own!, Faberge, etc. She also owned 27 sets of china (I'm fairly certain each set was for something like 24 people or more), and each time you go, there's a different set on each of the two tables. The first time I went, there was an amazing Violet pattern in the breakfast room, and I was so frustrated that I couldn't take pictures!

This is the Breakfast Room:
http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/images.../breakfast.JPG

Come have a sit sit my child.

I've just recently picked my silver out - I'm still waffling between two china patterns, and I can't find any crystal I like.
I never really thought about it until I moved away from home and my mom gave me her old everyday china (Nikko - Blue Peony). There is only one salad plate left in the set, and I always use the salad plates for toast and such in the morning, so I went looking for her pattern (it's inactive now, btw). I was amazed at the sheer number of patterns out there, and most of them are soooo pretty =)

Silver: Towle's Old Master
Fine China: either Wedgwood's Celestial Platinum or Waterford's Alana
Everyday China: Nikko's Blue Peony
Crystal: So far the only one I like reasonably well is Reidel's Vinum, but I would prefer a similar uncut crystal with a silver or frosted pattern on it. I never really like the heft of the cut patterns (the crystal has to be thicker for a cut pattern).

I'd put pictures in, but I don't know how - you can find them all at replacements.com, though:D

Bumping because I have questions...

My grandmother wants to start a "China and Silver" collection for both my cousin and I. She figures it'd be better to buy us things we'll need and is more meaningful than handing us a gift certificate to our clothing store of choice. (Though I don't mind that.)

My problem is I don't know where to start researching. I want a pattern that isn't going to disappear in 2-3 years so I can add the remaining pieces/settings to my future wedding registry.

So are there certain websites I can start with? Will they tell me if it's a long standing design or just this year's fad?

Help!

Do a google search. There should be Plenty of websites for you to research patterns.

What a lovely and considerate idea from your grandmother!
If your pattern is discontinued, there are numerous china replacement services. It can be more expensive, but it can be done! My pattern is from 1921, and Mr. Silver bought me a complete service for 8 PIECE-BY-PIECE from replacement services for our 5th wedding anniversary as a surprise!
Blessings,
Silver

My dear Silver, you have a real keeper with Mr. Silver!! :)

I think I mentioned once that my pattern was discontinued literally the day after I bought it, so I use both ebay & replacement services for those extra pieces. One time, there was a complete service for 12, with all the serving pieces, tea & coffee service, etc at a very reasonable price on ebay - until the last moment, when a man sniped at a huge price. We got into a correspondance and he told me that his wife loved the pattern, and he was going to surprise her with it for her birthday. Of course, I asked him if he had a brother! ;)

Preciousjeni, you can start your quest at a department store. Pick up brochures on each of the china & silver manufacturers, and then check out their websites. I had actually planned on something very plain, such as a white or cream with a band of silver or gold, but just fell in love with my current pattern. Most experts will tell you to start plain, then add accent plates for salad or dessert to liven things up or to accentuate a holiday. Lenox is VERY good at that.

This entire thread just fascinates me!!! I never knew such things (i.e. picking out china and silver patterns and having them be heirlooms and all that good stuff) existed!

oh man, now I want a fancy china set...although seeing as we eat out of paper plates (we do have ceramic dishware) its probably just gonna gather dust.

I was asked something about the Princess Blue (in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales) and ended up re-reading all of this thread.

Irishpipes, I love Grand Baroque, too - but I'm not sure if it's because they've made pieces for everything or that pattern itself! I have a good start (service for 4) of Eloquence, which is almost identical to my everyday flatware, and mixes in with the various patterns I'll inherit. Including a cranberry server, a tomato server, and a punch ladle! Of course, Old Master would have also worked...

About a month ago, I was talking to the Waterford salesperson, and she said that Lismore will NEVER be discontinued - it's their trademark cut. I have a couple pieces of it (a punch bowl, pitcher, and bon bon dish), but I went inexpensive with Longchamps. Everytime I see people having a toast on tv, it seems to be from Longchamps!! The week before I got married, it went on sale, so by exchanging pieces, I have service for 16 in everything but the brandy snifters, and "only" 6 shotglasses.

Unless the truly elite of GreekChat (and you know who you are!) stop over to knock back a few, when I'll need crystal shotglasses, I have no idea! ;)

lol- I'm in love with pretty much every pattern from Waterford! I'd have to say the Westport and Alana patterns are my favorite though!:) now if only i could get married I'd have an "excuse" to buy some;) hehe