There are plastic plates available at those Party supply places, which are much stronger than the ‘pretty’ paper plates. I saw some once that had a lace filligre (sp?) cut-out on the edges. Also the clear ones are nice.
No one was hurt when the bridge floated away in Waterloo.
I think I may branch out to a town larger than Auburn. Oy vay.
I’ve also seen the clear plastic plates that have a pattern “engraved” in the middle of the plate (like roses.) If you can find a party store, you can also get platters that look like silver, but are plastic. I was actually surprised when my sister showed them to me and said they weren’t real.