After our afternoon at the Plaza, the group of us hopped on the subway in true New Yorker fashion to ride down to an event at the Waterford-Wedgwood-Royal Doulton Showroom! I was lucky enough to get to spend time with two of my favorite bloggers, Dana & Hunter- The Broke Ass Bride and Fresh Hubby themselves!

This is what we call a Broke Ass Sandwich! As Hunter pointed out on twitter- it’s a great value.

We spent a lovely evening exploring the showroom and learning all about Wedgwood and Waterford’s history and products. We had the opportunity to meet Lord Wedgwood himself, as well as some other senior staff members. Jorge Perez, spokesperson for the company, gave us a tour of the showroom highlighting some of their new additions, as well as one particular display that I found most interesting- showing the unique ways you can use your fancy crystal when it’s not a special occasion!

Using a crystal pitcher for popcorn, using fabulous stemware to hold garnishes at a buffet or even to hold breadsticks, using a crystal bowl to serve M&Ms at a party, reusing your butter dish to house cheese and crackers- all great ideas to get the most out of these expensive pieces. I love when things can be reused or repurposed to fill a need.

I have to say, I did not register for china or fine stemware for our wedding. I thought I would never need it or want it, that it was impractical in lots of ways. But when Jorge told us stories of how treasured these pieces are and how they get passed down through generations it kind of pulled at my heartstrings a little, I can’t lie! But the kicker for me was that alot of their lines of china are actually dishwasher safe so they are perfect for everyday use. Some are even microwave safe- as long as they don’t have the gold or platinum bands. After thinking about it that day I have to say that might be my only wedding regret– I now wish I had registered for china!!

My personal fave, and I believe they said their best seller, is the Grosgrain pattern by Vera Wang. I love the classic simplicity of it- I know this pattern would never go out of style and it is just lovely to look at! So if you’re on the fence about registering for china- DO IT – you won’t regret it, but you might regret it if you don’t!

It was a wonderful evening and I’m so glad I got to attend!