Wedding China Refreshed

I am joining Kathleen of Cuisine Kathleen for her wedding china link party.  Take a trip over to her blog and see what she has put together for this fun topic!

While there are times that I want to use my wedding china in all of its formality with fine crystal, sterling and damask, I use it much more frequently with a wink to informality.  

This was my grandmother's formal  china, and her name was Rose Ellie.  Mine being Linda, she always wanted me to have her china because of the name of the pattern, Rosalinde.  Get it?  So, when we were engaged and beginning to think about registering for gifts, she told me not to register for china, as I could have hers as her wedding gift to us.  I was overjoyed!  I have always, always loved this pattern, and thought that I might only get it when she passed away.

Can you imagine what a thrill it was to have her for our first "fancy" dinner in our crummy little apartment to dine on her cherished dishes?  She was so complimentary of the table and the meal, but she did point out to me that this largest sprig of roses should always go at the top of the place setting, a detail I had never thought to pay attention to.  Every single time I have used it since then, I think of her as I put the plates on the table, "big spring up"!

In place of a charger, I used this cabbage placemat to sort of bring it down a notch.  I got them years ago at the floral wholesaler and I have never seen them since. 

If you study the painting on the dishes, you see lavender and pink roses.  I usually choose pink roses to go with this, but my soft pink peonies were blooming and I wanted to cut some before the rain came this morning, so they seemed the perfect soft pink choice.  Then I added some veronica and blue pin cushion and put them in this cream colored pottery pitcher.  

Be still my heart!  This choice of  container kept things a little more formal, too.  Just envision how different these same flowers would look in a crystal vase.

Again, I left the sterling in the safe and used this flatware from World Market.  I started with pink handled flatware, but it wasn't a perfect match with the napkins, so I changed.  The pink linen napkins are gathered into an apple blossom ring from Pottery Barn.

This heavy green goblet was also our wedding "crystal".  It took me years to realize that it was glass and not terribly fine, because I have always thought it made a great combination with the Haviland china.  Now, I have Waterford that I use for formal dinners, but I still love this Imperial pattern.  I used it here with Juliska glasses for wine.

There are no marks on this little dish, but I just love it.  It might be Majolica, but I hesitate to say for sure.

This was a cozy lunch for three, but made a bit more special by the china selection.

Gramma wouldn't have ever used this like this, but that's what I love about today's "no rules" attitude toward entertaining.  Thank you, sweet Gramma.  I learned so much from you.

Also joining:

The French Country Cottage