When it comes to picking out fine china for the bridal registry, most couples have to figure out what design would best present that slab of turkey and mound of mashed potatoes at the annual Thanksgiving dinner.

To simplify the decision-making, couples often stick with mom's tried-and-true suggestion of a gleaming stark white set.

Dishware makers are rolling out fresh concepts as newlyweds buck tradition and infuse the wedding and the registry with their personalities. Some forgo fancy plates in favor of something more casual or they may choose their china for everyday use.

“Designers are responding to who the bride is,” says Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings. “The bride has a more modern sensibility. She doesn't want what grandmother has, and she doesn't want to feel old-fashioned.”

One option manufacturers are offering is the ability to mix and match tableware. Instead of registering for 10 settings of one pattern, you can register for five from one look and five from another from the same designer and interchange them.

Colors and shapes of china are evolving. Royal Doulton and Noritake are infusing spring colors and art deco-inspired patterns in their settings. Like the changing look of the wedding cake, plates aren't always round. Designers are adding organic shapes like square and curved dishes and even integrating other materials such as Dansk's raised bands of bronze encircling the dinnerware.

Couples are thinking about practicality. They want to use their china more than two times a year; companies are responding.

Monique Lhuillier debuted a line of dinnerware with Royal Doulton. Her “girls night in” ad showcases Lhuillier with three girlfriends surrounding a table resplendent with champagne and nibbles laid out on china. The tagline: “Why wait for a special occasion? Life is short. Use the good china.”

For more casual place settings, designers are creating looks that straddle the informal-formal divide. Vera Wang offers a “Naturals” stoneware collection. Kate Spade has introduced “Sag Harbor” dinnerware, a cheery, playful collection featuring polka dots and stripes in shades of green, navy or chocolate.

Such china updates are a way for designers to tap into consumers' growing, cocooning needs. “With the tough economy, we think more people will be entertaining at home,” Miller says.

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