How to Set a Table Properly

You can prepare your table appropriately for your next dinner party by using formal place settings. Here are some traditional rules.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Plateware

1. Dinner plates are placed directly in front of the seat, about two inches from the table's edge.
2. Salad plates are placed to the left, above the fork.
3. Bread plates vary. If there is a salad course, they are placed on the right, above the knife (to the left of the glassware), higher than the salad plate. If there is no salad course, the bread plate goes to the left above the fork.
4. If serving a soup course, the soup bowl is placed directly on top of the dinner plate.
5. Clear dishes after each appropriate course. If several dinner courses are served, replace dinner plates as necessary.

Silverware

6. For a formal place setting only the appropriate silverware should be used, never any excess. Utensils are lined up about 1/2 of an inch away from the plate and lined up evenly at the bottom.
7. Forks are placed on the left side of the plate. Knives (with the cutting edge facing inward) and spoons to the right of the plate. Butter knives are placed directly on top of the bread plate.
8. Silverware should be placed on the table in the order it will be used, so the furthest from the plate will be used first. For example, salad forks are placed on the outside of the dinner forks.
9. Dessert silverware is placed sideways about 1/2 of an inch above the plate, toward the center of the table. The spoon is placed first, closer to the plate with the spoon-end on the left. The fork is placed above the spoon, facing in the opposite direction with the fork-end to the right--so that if the guest were to pull the handles of the silverware down around the plate upon dessert service, the fork would still be on the left and the spoon on the right.

Glassware

10. Water glasses should be placed on the right, directly above the knife.
11. Wine glasses (and any additional beverage glasses) are placed to the right of the water glass.
12. Coffee cups and saucers are placed on the table to the right of the knife and spoon.

Tips & Warnings

• Napkins can be folded neatly to the left of the forks or placed directly on the dinner plate. Never put napkins in any glassware because it can leave lint remnants in the glass, which no one wants to drink.
• If place cards are being used (usually for larger dinner parties) put them above the dessert silverware, to the left of the glassware.