I would add the steamer and double-boiler inserts for the 4qt saucepan, and probably a 3qt saucepan as well. There are times when a smaller saucepan is useful for big meals -- gravy, sauces etc. And those smaller steamer inserts can't be beat for steaming veggies. You don't need All-Clad for this -- it's overkill for a steamer IMO -- but if storage is a premium it's nice to have them fit in your other saucepans. I agree with the previous poster about the pasta pot and wok. Also, have you lifted the LeCreuset 9.5 qt dutch oven? I ask this because I'm looking for cookware, have virtually identical requirements to yours, and I was shocked. I'm definitely not adverse to heavy cookware but I'm not sure I could lift that when filled with a stew. You might want two smaller dutch ovens instead.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. My daughter was married 2 years ago. She has the same glasses that you are considering. She also has square shaped dinner plates. They are Noritake's Colorwave series. She chose their graphite color but their are lots of fun colors, as well as white and cream. You can buy pieces individually or place settings. Lots of options for mixing and matching too. My daughter was also registered at a department store and it was there that she received tremendous help from the wedding registry sales associate. The clerk put together various options for dishes, glassware, flatware and placemats. It was helpful to see the items laid out together on a table. See if someone at BB&B can help you this way or go to a major department store. You can be registered at more that one place. My daughter found that the department stores ran some very good sales on her registry items which resulted in better prices than BB&B even using one of their coupons (which not all guests will know about). Just a thought. Below is a link to the Colorwave Dishes Here is a link that might be useful: Noritake Colorwave.

Here's what Emily said in her 15th edition (which is the one I have on my desk): "It used to be considered obligatory to send a gift, even though you could not attend the wedding. This is still true when the principals are friends whom you see from time to time, or who live nearby. In the days when that "rule" was made, people di d not move aroudn as they do today, and invitations were sent ONLY to those within a reasonable distance. Today people often send invitations to their entire list of acquaintances..., not thinking about the obligation they impose. So if you live in California and receive an invitation to a wedding in New Jersey from people ou haven't seen in ten years, don't send a gift. If you are customer, a client, or a patint of someone you meet only professionally, an dyou have never met the bride or groom, don't send a gift. .. This does not mean that you should not send a gift to a bride whose family you will see in the near future, even though youa re at a distance when the wedding takes place. For example, the daughter of people you see every summer at your vacation home, who has grown up with your children, gets married in December. The fact that you are hundreds of miles away does not relieve you of th responsibility of sending a gift, if you receive an invitation to both wedding and reception. If you don't, you will surely receive a cool "reception" yourself when you meet next summer. (italics hers, bold is mine) Basically, if you are not close enough that you'd spontaneously buy them a gift, then they shouldn't be inviting you. If they invited you and you aren't close enough to ever consider going to the wedding, then you don't gift them a gift. Brides are supposed to be keeping that obligation in mind, and are supposed to be keeping their guest lists conservative.

I'm in the same camp as RoccocoGirl. I have sets of china. And I use them all. AND I'm probably going to acquire at least another set as we shop the resale and consignments shops on the SouthEastern US coast. I managed a china and glass store first out of college, and I acquired a lot of knowledge about and affinity for dinnerware. For durability, buy porcelain as opposed to stoneware. Several of the sets at W-S and C&B etc are porcelain, several are stoneware. Stoneware is fired at lower temps, therefore has to be heavier to have the same durability, and is way more susceptible to chipping. The white and grey bases also mark up with cutlery. Which is why the Mikasa French and Italian white sets all mark up pretty quickly, they're stoneware. I had a full set of that stuff for 12 that I picked up very cheap at an estate sale, because I needed some plain dinnerware about 12 years ago. Hated it. Hated the feel, the weight, the fact that it marked up so bad. Gave the whole set to my eldest stepdaughter. IMO the ultimate warm white plain dinnerware is Wedgewood White. It has a large rim, so portion control is easier, the base white is so opaque, and I love the feel of it. But it is pricey. I think I'm going to get it for our new house. I have quite a bit of serving pieces and bakeware in V&B botanica and Port Merion Botanic Garden that I want to mix with a plain white set. I also have sets of salad plates that I like to mix in. When shopping for white dinnerware pay attention to the weight of it - you have to lift it in and out of the DW and the cabinets everyday. And the base color - the differences between whites are myriad. And most of all the surface area. There is such a trend, especially in the W-S and C&B type stores, to oversize. Remember that you need to put food on that plate, and you're likely to put more food on a bigger plate so that it looks in proportion. Lastly, the biggest regret I have is not purchasing the Coalport Countryware white when it was available. Evidently they discontinued it in the last few years. ;( If anyone comes across some for sale or has it and wants to dump it, let me know! Here is a link that might be useful: