Unless you live like a hermit and eat take-out every day, you are going to want to have people over to your house and entertain once in a while. One of the most important aspects of having people over is food, and having a good meal means not only having a nice dinner set, but the proper dinner setting in which to dine. In this article we will be exploring the world of the “table setting”, and how to set a table for almost every occasion.
Setting a Basic Table
Here are the basics with which you can start. Depending upon the type of dinner party you are planning, you can add to these basics.
a) The first thing you need to determine is how many people you are planning on having over. You will need to have one place setting for each person, so make sure that there are enough chairs around the table to accommodate them.
b) Place the dinner plate in the center of the place setting. Everything else will go around the focal point of this dinner plate.
c) The fork, knife, and spoon (i.e.: the flatware) will be positioned around the dinner plate in the order in which each item will be used. The fork goes to the left of the dinner plate. The knife and spoon go to the right. The knife is placed close to the dinner plate with the cutting edge pointed towards it. Next to the knife goes the spoon.
d) Next comes the glass for water. Place this directly above the knife.
e) If you have napkins available, place them under the forks.
Informal Dinner
An informal dinner party means that you just need to go with the basics, and add a few things to them. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind:
a) If you are going to serve a salad, the salad fork is placed to the left of the dinner fork that you laid down during the basics.
b) Do you plan on serving soup? If so, the soup bowl goes directly on top of the dinner plate. The soup spoon goes to the right of the spoon that you put into position during the basics.
c) If you have salad or bread and butter knives, they go directly to the left of the forks. If available, a butter plate is placed above the dinner plate with the butter knife placed on top of the butter plate.
d) The cup and saucer go directly above the spoons. The cup handle is pointed towards the right. If you have wine or water glasses they go to the left of the coffee cup.
Formal Dinner Settings
You have now graduated to the most elaborate setting of all…the formal dinner setting. Don’t worry, we have you covered. Just build on the informal dinner setting which in turn builds on the basics. Here’s what you need to know:
a) You will need separate wine glasses if you are serving both white and red wines. Wine glasses should be placed next to the water glass (which is in turn placed to the left of the coffee cup).
b) Immediately to the right of the knife go the beverage, soup, or dessert spoons. If you like, they can be brought to the table when the soup or dessert is being served.
c) A centerpiece not only looks nice, it is a great conversation piece. If you can’t find an appropriate one, you could always create one (if you are artistic that is).
That’s it. You’ve done it! Sit back and admire your dinner set and all your great work. Looks nice, don’t you think? Now all you will need is to cook up some great dishes, and open the front door. Let the party begin!
Want to find out more about Great Dinner Sets, then visit Debbie Saunders’s site on how to choose the best dinner set for your dining table.
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