Photo: Cathy Crawford
A gorgeous set of china is an essential part of any wedding registry, but costly options are often out of guests' gifting budgets. To accommodate every budget, we found four beautiful styles of place settings at two different price points.
True Blue
A geometric design in a rich, saturated hue looks great at any price point. Both sets, seen above, are made with porcelain, but the higher-end one at left is hand painted while the pattern below is made using stencils.
Pictured above: Splurge (left); "Bleus d'Ailleurs," Hermés, $565; Save (right), "Blue Star," Timothy Corrigan for Royal Limoges, $325
Photo: Cathy Crawford
Precious Metal
Want a timeless white-and-gold-rimmed style? Choose delicate dishes with hand-carved darts (left) or a pretty scalloped set made using a textured mold (right).
Pictured above: Splurge (left), "Colette Gold," Robert Haviland & C. Parlon, $535; Save (right), "Corail Gold," Medard de Noblat, $270
Photo: Cathy Crawford
Exotic Blooms
A Park Avenue favorite, the 18th-century pattern on the left includes 27 colors created by firing minerals at different temperatures. The vintage-inspired fine bone china to the right is printed, which is a less labor-intensive process.
Pictured above: Splurge (left), "Tobacco Leaf," Mottahedeh, $575; Save (right), "Butterfly Bloom," Wedgwood, $230
Photo: Cathy Crawford
Leafy Greens
The fine bone china on the right — made with clay and actual animal bones — is less expensive than porcelain from France's Limoges region (left), which is crafted from an ultrafine, more durable blend of clay.
Pictured above: Splurge (left), "Olivier Green," Royal Limoges, $380; Save (right) "Gardner Street Green," Kate Spade for Lenox, $139