Are You Setting Your Table Correctly?
Knowing how to set a table is a skill you'll use for years to come, whether you're hosting friends for a dinner party or family for a big holiday meal with all the fixin's. Understanding where each item should be placed on a table not only helps with flow, it's also important for displaying the beautiful linens, flatware, china, and glassware you've taken the time to collect and curate. Once you've got a handle on the basics, you can also start to play around with them (checkout these fun napkin folding ideas) and focus on other parts of setting the scene, like centerpieces, festive music, or kids' activities.
While place settings can get super formal (just picture a dinner scene from The Crown), we think mastering the informal place setting, also called the casual table setting, is a great way to begin and will get you squared away for most occasions.
How to Set an Informal Table
Place a dinner plate in the center of each place setting. If you're serving salad, place a salad plate on top of the dinner plate.
Place a folded napkin to the left of the dinner plate.
Place forks on top of the napkin, with the salad fork on the outside and the dinner fork on the inside, closest to the plate.
Place a knife and spoon to the right of the plate, with the spoon on the outside and the knife on the inside, closest to the plate. Be sure the blade of the knife is turned toward the plate.
Set the water glass in the top right corner, just above the knife. If you're serving wine, place the wine glass to the right of the water glass.
Napkin Notes: A fancy fold might dictate that you place the napkin atop the dinner or salad plate instead of below the forks.
Simplify It: Basic Table Setting
Nix the salad plate, salad fork, and wine glass from the steps above and, voilà, you have a basic table setting.
Dress It Up: Formal Setting
Follow steps 1–5 in "How to Set a Table" above. You may add a charger beneath the dinner plate.
Place the bread plate in the top left corner. Remember BMW (that's bread on the left, meal in the middle, water on the right).
Add both a white and red wine glass to the right of the water glass. The white wine glass goes in front of the red.
Place the dessert spoon above the dinner plate.
The Rule We Break
Many formal table setting guides dictate that you position the place card above the dessert spoon. At Country Living magazine, we often get creative with this element, as our favorite DIY Thanksgiving place cards illustrate.
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