It's FLASH BACK FRIDAY!! Today we'll dig up an old post from our blog's archives to share with you again! Today it's our Teaching Generations: Bridal Shower Gift Idea post from July, 2010.
I tend to think that our generation (my generation - the young adults of the present age) doesn't often appreciate fine china the way our mothers, grandmothers, or great grandmothers do or did. In general we do not see an importance in spending hundreds of dollars on plates when we can find something to eat off of at a much cheaper price. I hear people say on a regular basis, "I have tons of my mother's china in my basement. It's so outdated, and when would I ever use it?"
My response to that is, "Use it every day!" Porcelain is made to last. The cheap stuff, not so much. It'll chip and it'll break and within a few years you'll be buying a new set. And if you don't like your mother's porcelain, but feel obligated to hold onto it, take the opportunity to update it by mixing it with things you like, colors that are vibrant and bold, or subtle and tasteful. Mix the old with the new and re-create your own dinner table. Make it YOURS!
It is said that the younger generations pull the older generations up when it comes to technology. It is somewhat our responsibility to educate our parents and grandparents about the new happenings in the digital and technological world. Similarly it is the older generations responsibility to educate and provide knowledge in their own way. Fine china, traditional dining, customs and art all fall under this umbrella.
I've been surrounded with beautiful porcelain my entire life, but until I started working here at Mottahedeh, I really didn't have much of an appreciation for it. Even so, the truth of the matter is that even if we do like the idea of owning porcelain, or understand how it is truly an art form, we (my generation) are not generally in a position to purchase such things. That is why the bridal market is one of Mottahedeh's biggest markets.
Brides often register for porcelain and receive it from family and friends. One of the best gifts I think an older porcelain lover can give a young bride is a dessert set of eight. Eight dessert plates with matching cups & saucers. It provides a foundation to build a china set and just enough of a kick start to the hosting culture so prominent in the newly-wed transition. A couple can invite another couple (or three other couples) over for dinner and coffee and pull out the dessert set while chatting the night away.
Dessert sets can then be converted into complete dinner sets by either adding more pieces from the pattern received, or mixing and matching patterns to get a look the bride truly loves; one that is modern but also timeless.
For those not so keen for using cups and saucers, gift them instead mugs!
I like this combination of patterns seen in the image above. All pieces are dishwasher safe, which makes clean up a breeze! The white Prosperity plates can be used for every day, or to make a statement with their beautiful edge. Blue and white never gets old.
