Choosing your wedding china is a joyful and memorable experience, but one that deserves consideration. Our lifestyle editor, Alexandra Dudley, shares her top tips on how to pick the right set for you.
Think About Longevity
Durability is as important as design when it comes to choosing your wedding china. The hope is that it will last a lifetime and beyond. This is the china that will bring the comfort and joy of hot buttered toast and homemade birthday cake – and the thrill of puddings destined for dinner parties – for generations to come. There’s a reason why Wedgwood pieces become family heirlooms: they last the test of time. I have a teapot that was once my grandmother’s. In my mother-in-law’s kitchen, there is a cabinet lined with deep sienna and gold-rimmed dinner plates that were given to her mother on her own wedding day.
Both detail and curiosity in ceramics has evolved radically over the past few years, but a classic (and incontestable) choice for a long-lasting wedding china set is one crafted by Wedgwood. The Jasper Conran white or the classic Gio are both delightful options, but my personal favourite is the Gio Platinum range. Made from fine bone china, dishwasher safe and considerately designed with a clean white face and intricate platinum edging, this is a set guaranteed to be handed down through the years.
Think About Occasions
As the focal point of your home, your wedding china can be a catalyst for a multitude of occasions. Dressed up or down, the right set can shine as the star of the show or hum a quiet backtrack to that one-off weighty masterpiece you carried back all the way from the souks of Marrakesh. Consider your own personal style and the pieces you already own. How does the set interact with your existing treasures?
With its subtle sparkle, the Wedgwood Gio Platinum range can gracefully elevate even the simplest of spreads. Sunday breakfasts are etched even deeper into memory through the ritual of placing each buttery rich croissant or sugar-dusted bun onto the oval serving dish. A dishwasher cycle and tablecloth change later, the set can become something entirely different. A neutral but sophisticated stage for your standout pieces, the Gio Platinum range is the thread that ties it all together. I particularly love it paired with another timeless and iconic classic; the Magnolia Blossom Jasperware vases.
Think About The Set
Choosing the right pieces for the kitchen is a key decision in laying the foundations of a new home. With storage space a rarity for so many new homemakers, one must employ strategy when deciding which wedding china makes the cut. Consider your routine in both the everyday and when entertaining. Are you likely to be a party of four for a Friday night three-course supper but 12 for Sunday lunch? Is it soup tureens or perhaps stackable platters that will serve you better? Are there pieces you can make a place for now and those you can bookmark or store until the family grows?
The variety of shape and style in each Wedgwood range offers a solution to every situation, be it a five-bedroom farmhouse or humble London flat. Perhaps you have more use for mugs than teacups and saucers or know you’ll fill the pasta bowls with salad as much as you do spaghetti bolognese. Remember, you make the rules – and the adaptability of the Gio Platinum range allows you to curate the collection however you wish.
Worth adding to your wedding-china list is the Gio Platinum cake stand – a wonderfully versatile piece that brings magic to a table. Add a personal spin to your cocktail evenings and use it to carry canapés, deck it with fresh fruit for breakfast with friends, or use it in the classic fashion; for scones and sandwiches come teatime. When it’s not in use, simply unscrew it and pack it down or celebrate it as a standing feature in the home.
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