Creating Heirlooms: How custom wedding collections tell a couple’s story
Ellen and Jarrod’s Custom Wedding Regitry
I didn’t grow up in a house with wedding ceramics. There were no plates with gold edges, delicate floral patterns, or ornate knots that had to be dusted off for special occasions. I never heard stories of my grandmother or great-grandmother nervously discussing patterns with a future mother-in-law and a seasoned salesperson.
What we did have was a cabinet full of glassware—wedding gifts to my mother and father—that may have contributed to my years-long obsession with becoming a glassblower in my late teens (at least the name Little Fire still would have applied).
Because of that, I had no preconceived notions of wedding ceramics as outdated or too precious to use—sentiments so common that The New York Times wrote about them in 2025.
When I was first approached by a couple in 2019 to create their wedding registry, all I felt was a sense of honor. They found me after dining at a Chicago restaurant for which I had made a custom tableware collection. After their meal, they turned the plates upside down, found my stamp, and contacted me.
At the time, I was in my twenties and the only people I knew who had received a wedding gift were my dear friends Adam and Lindsey. A bit older than me, they had eloped to New York City after a decade of dating, getting married by Adam’s brother in an impromptu Central Park ceremony. The newlyweds asked for just one gift: a toaster. It may have seemed unromantic, but the giver made it special by engraving their names and wedding date on the metallic side. Whenever I was in their kitchen, I’d see it and smile—a utilitarian object made sentimental through their story.
So, when I began creating custom wedding registries, I had that toaster in mind. I wanted to make wares perfect for daily use, yet deeply meaningful—pieces that told the couple’s story. Then and now, when I meet with couples, I don’t just ask how many plates they need. I ask about their favorite foods, the colors in their home, what they love (or hate) about their current tableware. We talk about whether they like to host or prefer takeout, about any family traditions that shape their meals. We talk about their life—and how this collection can be a part of it. From there, we can decide on shapes, colors, textures, and custom designs—but that’s only a small part of the process.
I never ask couples to get rid of the items they already own. Whether it’s inherited items or a hodgepodge of Mickey Mouse mugs from Disney vacations, I want to honor those parts of their relationship and find ways to integrate the old with the new. Sometimes that means using Great Grandma’s jadeite collection as inspiration for the glaze palette. Other times, it means skipping drinkware altogether because the cabinets are already full of meaningful mugs.
Our homes are reflections of who we are and what we value. Our dinnerware collections should be the same.
Today, there are many couples with custom ceramic collections I’ve made to celebrate their lives together. My hope is that they use them daily, knowing the pieces aren’t too precious for pizza night or morning coffee. That they tell their guests the story of how they designed them together, and why they chose what they did.
In this way, these pieces become heirlooms—not because of age, but because they carry stories of love, family, and the joys of everyday life.
Ellen and Jarrod’s Custom Wedding Registry Collection
Ellen and Jarrod’s Custom Wedding Registry Collection