Selecting your formal china pattern should be an enjoyable experience, and we'll help you choose the perfect pattern for your future.

When you begin selecting formal china for your wedding registry, take a moment to look inside yourself and think about the colors that you fill your life with. Are they shades of blue, hues of red, greens and yellows or neutral colors?

Your china should reflect your color preferences; this way it will be something that you know you'll love for a long time. Instead of choosing a color that's very trendy now, consider mixing in patterns and adding trendy colors when selecting your accessories, salad plates or Chargers (they sit beneath your dinner plate). These are the types of items you can change with the trends in the years to come, which is much easier than replacing the whole set of china when it is no longer in style.

After thinking about your color preference, take a look at pattern - classic, contemporary, floral or simple banded. A combination of designs can give your table the "wow factor" you thought might not have been possible!

Next we move to place settings. You'll want to register for a minimum of 12 five-piece place settings for your formal dinnerware. This will include a dinner plate, salad plate, bread & butter plate and a cup & saucer. The soup bowl is a separate piece. Remember: soup bowls aren't only for soup. You can serve a pasta appetizer, salad or even dessert in a soup bowl.

There are mainly four types of china: bone, porcelain, earthenware, and stoneware. Classification of china is based on the materials and processes used to make it. Each type has different characteristics and is suited to different looks, uses, and social settings. Knowing how your china is made will help you make smarter choices when creating your wedding registry.

• Bone China is made primarily from white clay and, at one time, calcified Ox bone ash. Actual bones are no longer used, instead the pure chemical calcium carbonate, an important substance that makes up bones, is used. This addition gives the finished china greater strength, a bright white appearance, and a translucent quality. Bone china is fired at about 150-200 degrees and finished with a glaze. Despite its delicate feel, bone china is very durable and less prone to chipping.
• Porcelain is made with many of the same components as bone china, but without the calcium carbonate. The white ceramics and minerals are fired at high kiln temperatures, and make porcelain ideal for your fine dinnerware. "Limoges" porcelain is manufactured within a 200 mile radius of Limoges, France. (Just like champagne must be made in Champagne France, otherwise it's sparkling wine).
• Earthenware is a form of ceramics, often marked by high impurities. Because of its low firing temperature, earthenware is often ideal for use with vivid colors and designs.
• Stoneware is similar to earthenware, but made with coarser clays.

Caring for your china is easier today than ever before. Manufacturers know that contemporary couples lead busy lives and demand the ease of machine dishwashing.* Most formal china is dishwasher safe; many state this fact on the back of the dinner plate. Some newer dishwashers even have a "fine china setting." Use it. If yours does not, be sure to use a minimum of non-abrasive and non-acidic detergent, being sure to give your pieces adequate space. When the wash & dry cycle is complete, always let your china cool completely before putting it away.

*Be sure to speak with your Michael C. Fina bridal registry consultant about the best ways to give your china the care it deserves. We do carry some hand-painted or ornately gilded patterns that require hand washing.