How to Arrange a Place Setting for a Formal Dinner

When you're setting the table for a formal dinner, you want to start directly in front of the chair and work from that center point. This way, you can be sure each place setting is evenly spaced and you have a reference point from which to begin.

Instructions

1. Set your dinner plate in front of the dining chair and place the soup bowl on top of it.

2. Place your forks next. The three forks that accompany a formal place setting belong on the left of the plate. The largest, the dinner fork, goes in the center. To the left of the dinner fork is the salad fork, and to the right of it is the dessert fork.

3. Lay the dinner knife to the immediate right of the plate and soup bowl. Place the teaspoon next to that, and next to that goes a soup spoon.

4. Line the bottom of all of your silverware up evenly with the edge of the dinner plate.

5. Center the bread plate over the points of the dinner fork. Lay a butter knife across the top of your bread plate with the handle facing the dinner plate and the tip pointing away.

6. Set the three goblets that accompany a formal place setting so the largest, the water goblet is first, followed by the smaller red wine goblet and the smallest white wine goblet last. The tip of your dinner knife should point between the water and red wine goblet.

7. Lay a napkin to the left of the forks, so the bottom of the napkin is even with the bottom of the silverware.