Style is key to selecting right dinnerware

Individual entertaining tastes should dictate choices.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
It can be daunting to realize that the china you choose today will be dishing out dinners for decades to come.
So we asked a couple of authorities, John Shulan and Suzanne von Drachenfels, to come to the aid of befuddled bridal couples who are facing the task of registering for tableware.
Their basic advice: Consider your needs and take your time.
Each couple has its own budget, taste and entertaining style, and all of those factors should figure into the choice of dinnerware, flatware and stemware, said Shulan, president of Shulan's Fairlawn (Ohio) Jewelers, and von Drachenfels, author of "The Art of the Table." Think about how often you're likely to entertain and how many people you'll invite. Consider whether you'll play host to lavish dinners or informal gatherings. Remember, however, that situations and family sizes change, so make sure your choices aren't too limiting.
Shulan and von Drachenfels differ on which table element to start with. Shulan generally recommends starting with the dinnerware, since that has the most visual impact. Von Drachenfels advises starting with the flatware. "It's not breakable," she said, "so you're going to have it the rest of your life."
No matter where you start, here are their recommendations:
Dinnerware
China and porcelain are the most common materials for fine dinnerware. Von Drachenfels considers porcelain the best buy, since it's the hardest. China is the strongest, however, and Shulan considers both materials to be good choices.
It's not necessary or even significantly cheaper -- at least among better brands -- to buy dinnerware by the boxed set, so both said you should feel free to mix and match if you like. That's easiest to do if you start with a dinner plate that's fairly plain or has a pattern with just one or two colors, von Drachenfels said; then you can add companion pieces in more colorful patterns. Shulan advised staying with the same basic material, however. Otherwise, one will look grayer than the other.
If you can't afford separate dinnerware for everyday and elegant use, white's a versatile choice, von Drachenfels said. You can always add patterned pieces later.
Be practical. If you want the dinnerware to go into the microwave oven or dishwasher, choose a type that can stand up to those uses, von Drachenfels said.
Shulan suggested registering for 12 place settings, because most dining tables will expand to seat 12. If you plan to entertain more people, he recommended starting a second dinnerware set in a different pattern, for use on a separate table.
What to acquire first: for each place setting, a dinner plate, a salad/dessert plate, a cup, a saucer and either a bread-and-butter plate (Shulan's recommendation) or a soup-cereal bowl (von Drachenfels' preference). From there you can add soup plates and extra salad/dessert plates, Shulan said. You can add serving pieces if you like, he said, but they needn't match the china.
Flatware
For many people, a single set of flatware has to serve both everyday and special needs. If that's the case, choose something in a simple pattern that will blend with anything, von Drachenfels recommended.
If you can afford two sets -- or, more to the point, if you think your friends and relatives will buy it for you -- it's nice to register for better flatware in a material such as sterling silver, gold electroplate or silver plate.
Shulan advised against registering for two stainless patterns, no matter how good-looking the better set is. You might receive only a few pieces if you register for fine flatware, he said, but you can add to the set gradually. He often suggests that couples buy one place setting a year as an anniversary gift to themselves. In 12 years, they'll have a complete set.
What to acquire first: For each place setting, a dinner knife, dinner fork and teaspoon. From there you can add a salad fork and either an oval soup spoon (von Drachenfels' choice) or a dessert spoon (Shulan's recommendation).
Then add a butter spreader and an extra fork of some kind, perhaps a dessert or fish fork (Shulan's choice) or a seafood cocktail fork (von Drachenfels' preference). If you serve iced beverages, von Drachenfels suggested adding an iced-beverage spoon.
As with china, serving pieces of flatware don't have to match, Shulan said.
Stemware
Von Drachenfels believes your choice of glassware should be dictated by your lifestyle. Someone who entertains frequently might be best served by inexpensive glassware that's dishwasher-safe and cheap to replace. Someone who entertains infrequently but lavishly might prefer crystal.
Colored stemware adds a splash of color to a table, but it can also distort the color of wine. If you choose colored stemware, it's best to use it only for water and to serve wine in clear stemware, von Drachenfels said.
What to acquire first: Shulan's recommendation is a goblet and wine glass. Von Drachenfels suggested acquiring a champagne glass, too, then perhaps adding a cordial glass, an iced-beverage glass and a second wine glass.