I am absolutely no use to you in the decision department, but I think it looks pretty and I love the little veggies. The only thing that catches my attention is the size of the charger...should it be that much larger than the plate??

oooohhhhh a bad pun.....a larger charger......gak, I'm pooped and it shows!!! I'll do better tomorrow if y'all let me come back....I promise!

I agree with Jay. I think the charger is too informal for your beautiful Lenox. How about a round place mat instead??
The little veggies are very cute, and I am sure the kids will love them. The only other option is to go with more casual china, but I think you want to use the wheat. I love how the green glasses pick up the color of the plate under the pumpkin.
Maybe Judith will pop in with some help, she is the expert here!

The only time I use the wood chargers is in lieu of placemats during barbecues outdoors. I have very formal chargers (Westchester, Westpoint, and some for Bernardaud that would not go at all). I have plain white dishes that are less formal, but you're right, I like Wheat at Thanksgiving. I have a set of Botanic Garden; the colors are good with the vegetables, but I think of the pattern as more for spring. I doubt any of my other patterns would be Thanksgivingish (sheesh). I have no place mats--we always use tablecloths. Thinking out loud here.
The florist has standing orders, a high arrangement for the sideboard and a long, low one for the dining room table. I add candles, but the candlesticks are the only tall item, so that people can see each other over the table. We've always used Massena crystal with the Lenox, and Golden Scroll silver, but I want to tone it down it down a notch this year, not something I'm accustomed to doing. I want someone to bust me out of my mold ;>/

I know it is hard to break a tradition! I don't think of Botanical as Spring. Try it with the pumpkins etc. and see how it looks, and of course take a pic so we can see too!
I do wish Judith would pop in..she could steer you in the right direction! I have placemats, but not for the dining room, and I do prefer a tablecloth. I was thinking the round mat on top of the cloth would take the place of the wood charger. I am not famil. with the other chargers you have. Play with it awhile, till you get it to where you want it. I know you are trying to be a bit less formal.
I recog your name from the cooking forum...

I'm not much use in the dish dept, tho trying to soak up whatever I can here. Judith is our Dish Guru and hopefully she'll post soon. But I agree with Kathleen on trying the Botanical. I think with your pumpkins it will look nice and not shout Spring at you. The wood chargers seem too big and not quite right for this setting....but since I'm pretty clueless as to what's right, better listen to the others on here.

Karen

I think what is not working is the "white" of the China, not that it is China, because I love mixing ironstone, porcelain, China, etc., but there is such a disparity between the "browned" down colors of your fallware and the bright white China of a wedding party. Does that make sense? If you had China the same exact pattern but it was in an off white or beige, there would be no problem.

I think there's a disconnect between the "earthiness" of the charger, veggie tureens and even the glasses with the formality of the gold-banded plates -- and specifally the "marrying" of plates and chargers.

I think it may be as simple as a pkg of fake leaves placed on the chargers and under the plates - Luvs used them in her stacked plates post. They would soften the charger and the gold, red, green in the leaves would compliment the gold-band on the plates. They would also compliment the veggie tureens. Plus by putting leaves on the brown/wood charger gives the aesthetic of leaves on the ground.

Jim

Well, to me the "dominiate theme" will start with the pumpkin and the other veggie dishes that you show and have mentioned. When doing a theme it is helpful for you to carry it out thru the table setting in "object" and "colors" of the dominating object..in this case the veggie bowls and of course the occasion..Fall/Thanksgiving. These occasions bring to mind the colors of reds, oranges, browns, tans, creams, terra cotta.

I do enjoy a contrast of the rustic and the more elegant. You will see alot of that done by Carol Garrity of the Nell Hill fame (her books are great for inspiration). But as others have mentioned above, there is too much of a disconnect between the "earthy" colors, and the stark white of the china. A creamy tan china piece would have worked better. As to using your botanticals, again, I think it would only work well IF your botanticals had some kind of red, oranges, rust, type of colors exibited in the design, because it would still tie in with the "Fall look". Where as botanticals (mine are more in the pastels colors in the flower designs I don't think it would work well). Pull out your botantical dish and try it, BUT remember you are going for most important thing... a color flow.

In my opinion everything else would work, the first layer of your terra cotta table cloth, the veggies, the green dish under the veggie dish, the green "bubble glasses", the place card holders the silver ware. I would go with a green cloth napkin I think, to contrast against the terra cota tablecloth, and tieing in the green dish under the veggie bowl and tieing in with your natural green in the flower arrangements. Oh yes, the wood charger is fine too since I feel it is also a "natural" item found in nature and the "fall look", the wood charger would look very nice against the terra cotta tablecloth.

I just bought at Walmart a "package" of the fall mini gouards and pumpkins from the food department, they last a long time and add beautiful color and again, a continuing theme of the veggies thru the table. You could put a few scattered on the table, and place a few IN the flower arrangement, I love the veggies in an arrangement, this again carries your theme thru the table design.

Well those are a few thoughts, and probably too many LOL, I hope it makes sense, writing is NOT my a talent of mine LOL.

I have pictures from last year from when I did my Fall/pumpkin tablesetting, I can add them if you want to see what I did.

Oh yes, one more thought, for the cards where you will put everyones name, use a card stock in one of your theme colors (not stark white)....every detail counts LOL

Thanks all. The china is not stark white, although it may photograph that way (I'm horrible at photography and now the battery has failed on my camera). It's that standard Lenox cream color. It just doesn't seem to have enough presence for the coarser elements. I will try to find a link to the Botanic Garden. Here's a sample. Each plate has a different central flower, but this will give an indication of the intensity of the color. I have many porcelain baby gourds and pumpkins and I plan to spread them around, too.

{{gwi:1436334}}

I also have Villeroy and Boch Manoir plates, but those are white porcelain, although not as formal as the Lenox and other patterns I have.

More questions,
I always add some small, real vegetables to the floral arrangements. Should I put some of the porcelain ones in, too? Please keep the suggestions coming. I very much appreciate them. Also, Les, I would love to see some less formal TG arrangements.
And to clarify, the Westpoint and Westchester chargers are Lenox (cream color like Wheat, with gold trim), the Bernardaud chargers are teal, Delft, and gray granite shoulders with gold edges on white porcelain to coordinate with Bernardaud Paris and, some, with V&B Amapola, Strawbwerry and Vine, and Ashbury). I kind of think absolutely none of that would work here, ironically enough. When I've used those covered soups in the past, it has either been for condiments or vegetables, or for lunches when bisque or chowder was the main course. Never for a holiday meal soup course.

We keep trying to tell Judith that writing IS one of her talents. She paints pictures with her words and explains things wonderfully!!! Glad this thread started, I feel like I am learning a lot.
Jim, I'm so glad you are posting. Your input is is great.

hugs, Karen