As peak wedding season approaches, Stacy Pair of Heritage House Gifts in Gulfport explains how modern brides are writing their own rules when it comes to registries.
Bridal registries look much different today than they did 30 or 60 years ago. The millennial bride does not want an 18-place setting of fine china, plus a full set of silver, crystal and everyday china. She wants a mountain bike and a trip to the Galapagos, so she needs tablescaping and registry options that reflect her modern ideals.
That is not to say the millennial bride doesn’t care about tradition. In fact, she loves heirlooms and appreciates beauty and relevance more than some previous generations.
To accomplish this incorporation of tradition and modernity, many of today’s brides are buying smaller but higher-quality sets — three or five-piece — and adding to them over time with individual accessories, inherited pieces or accent collections that can take on any number of interpretations.
We are even seeing some melamine options, such as Q-Squared and Beatriz Ball, being paired with fine china and crystal like Pickard and Waterford. The millennial bride is no shrinking violet when it comes to creative tablescaping. In mixing formal and casual dinnerware, a bride may, through her registry, add to the beautiful heirloom Herend China she will inherit from her grandmother and mother by registering only for large serving pieces or small accent pieces, such as salad plates or butter dishes, in that fine china pattern. At the same time, she can put her own spin on her table by incorporating a more casual china like Casafina’s Ibiza Sea/Sand and Taormina, or more earthy pieces such as Peter’s Pottery.
When shopping for the millennial bride, keep in mind she does have a vision, and it includes honoring the past while keeping a keen eye on fun, functionality and flexibility. Do not try to force her into a traditional style or registry. Let her enjoy the process and be patient with her; she eventually will have a gorgeous table that reflects her tastes, sensibilities and lifestyle.