Rentable China for Afternoon Tea and More

China Rental Companies

Delicate Dishes
Kalamazoo, Michigan
269-359-2693 • delicatedishes.com

After mysteriously becoming ill for unknown reasons and after countless visits to several doctors, Kirsten Smith was officially diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2015. The diagnosis required Kirsten to drastically reduce her hours working in healthcare administration and eventually forced the decision of quitting her job because of the harsh symptoms. With an ample amount of free time now on her hands to peruse Pinterest, Kirsten came across a woman with an assortment of mismatched china. She instantly fell in love with the concept of mixing and matching multiple patterns together and wanted to start a collection of her own.

In the spring of 2016, with a small china compilation to her name, Kirsten was inspired to host a tea party at her church for women who were widowed or single and didn’t have events to attend. With assistance from the middle school girls in the youth group she led, Kirsten held the afternoon tea without a hitch, displaying her pretty dishes for all to see and to the great enjoyment of the congregants. This successful affair ultimately sparked the idea of opening a china rental business, later to become Delicate Dishes, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This endeavor was ideal for Kirsten, as she could monetize her love for exquisite china while working from the comfort of her home.

Delicate Dishes’ offerings run the gamut of all the tableware basics in not-so-basic presentations. Floral dinner plates, footed dessert cups, and gold-beaded glass chargers paired with fancy teacup sets automatically elevate any tablescape. Gilded mirrors (complete with custom, handwritten phrases) and ivory lace table runners transform a simple venue into a stylish soirée. The broad inventory invites clients to think outside the “banquet hall box” for their special day and to embrace the unique qualities the items, quite literally, bring to the table.

China Rental Companies
Photograph by McKenna C Photography.

“Everything I have has a little bit of a pattern to it,” Kirsten remarks. “Placing floral plates on the table—for someone on a budget—is a cost-effective way to incorporate flowers into your event without needing to spend as much on floral arrangements. No matter where you have your wedding, these colorful elements can really dress up a table and location.”

For Kirsten, the thrill of hearing clients gawk over the dreamy décor at their weddings is more than enough motivation to get excited for the next event. Renting wares from Delicate Dishes ensures professional pattern matching, custom tablescapes, and, last but not least, convenient access to a curated china collection.

“The nice thing about renting is I already have a cohesive collection to choose from,” Kirsten notes. “Brides who seek a vintage look and feel for their wedding don’t have to source the china themselves, and that’s a huge benefit.”