What do you get when you marry America’s hottest wedding dress designer to one of the industry’s hottest wedding dinnerware brands? You get Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton ...and the great gratitude of marrying couples across the country.

It’s amazing that Monique Lhuillier ever found the time to design a tabletop collection for a Royal Doulton October launch since she is the red hot couturier du jour known for an A-list roster of celebs – Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Hilary Swank, and Katie Holmes, to name but a few – scurrying for her sartorial splendor. The 36-year-old L.A.-based designer’s seemingly ‘speedy’ rise to the heights has taken 13 years, ever since she designed her own wedding dress because of a “void” she saw in the marketplace. Since that time, she and her groom, Tom Bugbee, have fronted an empire-in-the-making, morphing from wedding dresses to ready-to-wear to home goods to the sky’s the limit.

Lhuillier’s impressive assortments for Royal Doulton are reflective of her gorgeous wedding gowns – modern, stylish, feminine garments made from luxurious fabrics. These romantic frocks – priced from $2,000 to $20,000 – have made Lhuillier a favorite among young women and therefore the perfect high-profile designer to offer her viewpoint to the tabletop arena. “Each of my Royal Doulton designs are directly inspired by items in my bridal collection and personal life,” Lhuillier explains. “I used colors from fabrics in my gowns to determine the collection’s palette and because I’m really into textures we made sure to incorporate tactile details in each pattern.” Lhuillier was involved in every step along the way. “After working so long to take them from the drawing board to holding them in my hands, it was a real thrill seeing those first designs,” she enthuses. “It’s so different than working with a dress where you’re touching the fabric and building the design day to day.”

The Philippine-born Lhuillier did her tabletop homework, studying Royal Doulton’s history and immersing herself in the company’s archive to create her own version of affordable luxury. “Monique and Royal Doulton have the same goal – to appeal to the modern woman by blending luxury and glamour with traditional values,” says Royal Doulton president Art Bylin. “Throughout our 200-year heritage, Royal Doulton has embraced progressive design and celebrated modern lifestyles, as reflected in our current product lines. We’re committed to creating the highest quality products for the home and are confident that working with Monique will meet and exceed those expectations.”

Dinnerware, stemware, flatware, and giftware have an exclusive launch with Bloomingdale’s before it’s unveiled across the country in April. The couture-styled packaging – a lovely warm sable, with a note from Lhuillier – reflects the sophisticated glamour for which the designer is known. “This collection,” Lhuillier reveals, “is a mix of eclectic styles. Young women are looking for simple sophistication and pieces they’re able to mix and match for daily use. Not every piece in this collection is overly bridal so I think husbands will appreciate the details as well.” Men, no doubt, have long appreciated the details found in a Lhuillier design. Her sculpted and fluid red carpet creations expertly hug a woman’s curves, which may explain why Lhuillier is the go-to designer for young Hollywood and hip fashionistas. It was, in fact, back-to-back high profile wedding dresses – for Kevin Costner’s bride Christine Baumgartner and Kate Walsh – that propelled the designer into rarefied air. (Fun fact: Lhuillier designed the wedding dress for Mattel’s Bridal Barbie which was a replica of a best selling design.)