Frequently Asked Questions

Is all of your china really ‘vintage?’

Yes!  It really is.  Some of our pieces are extremely old, and some pieces are as new as the 70’s, but most of the china is from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s.  My main criteria when buying china is that I love the way it looks.   Whether it’s very expensive or quite common, you can never go wrong when you buy what you love.  

Why are some of your dinner plates so small?

If you walk into Pottery Barn or Macy’s today, you’ll find that dinner plates are sold at a size of 12 inches in diameter.  But in the 30’s and 40’s, even through the 60’s, the average dinner plate was only 9 inches!  Because our plates are bought from all eras, some may be 10 or 11 inches, and some may be as small as 9 inches.  Anything smaller than 9 is considered a lunch plate, and smaller than 7 inches is a salad plate.  If you think about the smaller size in terms of food… a smaller plate means less food being served, which can actual be a significant savings in catering costs.   Not to mention, it’s good for your waistline! ;) 

Do you rent other items too, or is it just china?

Currently, we rent china plates as well as serving pieces, glassware, and some milk glass.  We've recently added a small collection of cake stands.   Beyond that we will take one step at a time. ;)  We can help you secure additional glassware, chargers, and linens that compliment the china through our preferred vendors.  

What happens if some of the plates break?

When dealing with china, breakage happens occasionally, but not as often as you might think.  Breakage fees are outlined in the contract.  

Can I pick the plates up myself?

Yes!  You can pick the plates up, and bring them back if you would like.  By doing more of the work yourself, you can save money.  You also take on a little more risk… if a plate is going to break, it’s usually while transporting it.    We used to allow clients to wash the dishes themselves, but no longer allow this. Have you ever washed 1,000+ dishes in a day?  I do it regularly, it's not that fun.  Let us take care of it. 

Can I pick out the patterns I want to use?

My policy on this has recently changed. We have enough china for a wedding of 350.  That means we have a lot of patterns! You are welcome to give a few color guidelines (Ex. “I love pinks and blues!” or “I really don’t think red goes with my palette”) and I will pull styles I know will work for you.  However, part of the fun is seeing the mismatched look of all the different patterns together.  Even plates that don’t catch your eye individually, will always look beautiful when mixed together.  

Isn’t it easier to use a large rental company than rent from PLP?

Renting from PLP says you support small, local business.  It says you care about the authenticity of the product and the time and dedication it took to acquire it.  It might also say that you need to email me 5 times a week, come by to look at the china 3 times before your actual event, adjust your order twice, and borrow some pieces to take to your florist or bakery.  And guess what?  We LOVE that!  Our priority is you, we care about you and your special day,  and we want it to be everything you hoped it would be.

I’m DIYing my event and need more time for set up.  Can I rent the plates for additional time?  

Absolutely!  Provided the plates aren’t needed for another booked event, we can make arrangements for you to have them for extra time as no additional cost.  Please note we can never guarantee extra time, but will always do what we can do help.  

I saw your rentals in the premier issue of The Magnolia Journal and I just have to have those plates!  Who made them?

From the bottom up, the plates are Royal Cauldon's Aviary, Pope Gosser's Rose Point, and Spode's Jewel.  And a sincere 'thank you' for loving them enough to look through the sources and find out who supplied them.  We are kindred dish heads.