Plate Occasions
Toronto, Ontario
416-414-3617 • plateoccasions.com
Planning and designing weddings comes naturally to Cynthia Martyn, owner of Plate Occasions in Ontario, Canada. With an event-planning career spanning more than 15 years, she is well-versed in the intricacies of the vast industry. After experiencing a difficult time searching for beautiful rentals for her clients and being uninspired by the products on the market, Cynthia decided that there had to be a better way. The limited options of a few neutral charger plates and nothing with unique details did not align with the planner’s grand and colorful dreams of what could be, so she vowed to change the dinnerware rental landscape herself. In 2015, she did just that, and Plate Occasions was born.
“For me, I was just trying to fill a need for my own events and thought if I was looking for this need, surely others were looking for something similar,” Cynthia notes. “I started buying vintage china and fell in love with the beauty of the different colors and patterns. It’s a big passion of mine.”
In the last five years, the rental industry has experienced unprecedented growth, and Plate Occasions has been at the forefront. Their inventory is strictly limited to anything that goes on the tabletop: dinnerware, flatware, glassware, textiles, and serveware. Some of the wares are purchased locally, and others are imported from suppliers who handmake their dishes in Italy and France. The clever combination of mixing old with new fashions is a distinctive aesthetic that sets Plate Occasions tables apart from the rest.
Once a potential client contacts Cynthia with information about the event and their vision for the big day, the creative process begins with tableware mockups and selections. Each tablescape is customized to the bride’s personality with a high emphasis on stunning design. Clients typically provide inspiration images or preferred color palettes, but with Cynthia’s background, it’s not necessary. She provides helpful guidance on choosing complementary china patterns and envisions concepts that others might not see.
“To me, I really feel like the tableware is now the jewelry for the event,” Cynthia remarks. “It’s the glitz and the sparkle. It’s like wearing a little black dress, and the jewelry sets it off. When you add our tableware, it really elevates the look. People will be seated at that table for up to 4 hours, so you want it to be beautiful and special.”
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