With wedding china, it’s all about options—thousands of them. I’m not talking about the dinnerware at your wedding reception. This is all about the china you choose for your new home and your new life. In years past, brides would choose a high-end, elegant, formal pattern, and the fancy dinnerware would collect dust in rarely opened cabinets until a super-special occasion got them out of seclusion for a day.

Table-Ready Anytime!

The trend today has brides choosing china patterns that will work for both casual and formal occasions. The difference is in the rest of the tabletop—paper napkins for everyday meals and cloth napkins with napkin rings for special occasions.

If it’s Thanksgiving, simply set out an elegant tablecloth, coordinated cloth napkins, crystal wine glasses, a lovely centerpiece, candles and Thanksgiving favors along with your casual dinnerware and, poof! Your everyday china suddenly becomes part of a breathtaking tabletop.

Designer Dishes!

I’ve picked out some of my favorite, new wedding china patterns especially designed for a casual lunch as well as a formal dinner party, and I’d love to know if you think they’d work for your lifestyle. The top two are from Mikasa (left) and designer Versace (right.) The next four are by Kate Spade, and the bottom two are from Calvin Klein (left) and, once again, Versace. Which one is your favorite?