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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Wedding China

I've been looking forward to seeing all the links at Cuisine Kathleen this week, because she challenged us to show our wedding china.  I decided to show you ALL the wedding china chosen or inherited by my grandmothers, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law -- and, of course, MY wedding china! 

My very first tablescape post four years ago featured my Grandma Rachel's wedding china, Heinrich H&C's Admiral pattern, which I have inherited.  Grandma married in 1927 and was given 24 placesettings of this pretty pattern by her family and friends.  I treasure her handwritten list of all the pieces she owned and keep it in a locked box along with our marriage certificate and birth certificates.  Here's a closeup of the pattern from my recent Touch of Pink post.  I have found this pattern to be very versatile, using it with greens and golds, as well as pink.
My maternal grandmother did not have wedding china, to my knowledge.  She and my grandfather eloped!  I do remember her colorful everyday Fiestaware and wish I had inherited some of it.  I have fond memories of hearty breakfasts served on those dishes at her kitchen table.

My mother, who married in 1951 (and who with my dad will celebrate their 63rd anniversary this month!) has two pretty wedding china patterns, both from Castleton.  I've had fun playing with her dishes when I visit, going so far as to bring table linens with me on the plane!  I think both of her patterns look very fresh and modern.  Here is her Ma Lin pattern:
 And here is her Mayfair pattern:
My mother-in-law chose Haviland's Rosalinde as her wedding china, and now our daughter has inherited it.  We have enjoyed setting modern tables with this beautiful traditional pattern.
I married in 1972, and I chose a "good" china pattern, Lenox Windsong, along with crystal (Lenox Moonspun) and silver (Lunt Belvedere).  I still love this pattern and set my Easter table with it this year.  Below is an earlier table set with my wedding china, crystal, and silver.
I also chose an everyday pattern, Royal Doulton Fireglow.  I still own these dishes, but we no longer use them every day.  I do enjoy pulling them out occasionally, though!
As I mentioned earlier, our daughter inherited her grandmother's Rosalinde, but she chose an everyday pattern when she married in 2000.  I really love her Villeroy and Boch Switch 3 pattern.
Our daughter-in-law, who married our son in 2010, inherited a large collection of Johnson Brothers' Friendly Village from her grandmother.  When I went to help out after our granddaughter's birth, I enjoyed setting a Christmas table with this delightful pattern.
And there you have it -- four generations of wedding china!  It will be fun to see the china patterns my young granddaughters choose when they grow up!