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For all meals, what goes on the table is determined by what is being served. If a soup and bread make up the meal, there is no need for a fork to be placed on the table.
At each place setting, put the main dish in the center of each place. If only soup or stew is being served, a dinner plate can be used to place bowls of soup on, to catch any spills. Whether or not to use bread plates in an informal setting is determined by whether there is room; but if you use them, they are placed above the forks, with a butter knife laid across the upper edge.
If you have trouble remembering which side the utensils go, Lenox offers a tip to remember this; knife, spoon and right all have five letters while fork and left have four letters. If more than one fork is to be used-such as in a salad and dinner fork-place the one used first on the outside. The bowl of the spoon and tines of the fork face upwards and the blade of the knife should face the dinner plate.
Napkins can go under or to the left of the fork(s) or they can be folded and placed in the center of the place setting or empty dinner plate.
Glasses for beverages are placed on the right, above the tip of the knife. Coffee cups-with the spoons on the saucer-should be placed last in the row of glasses. -
The are several differences between a formal and informal place setting; china and crystal verses ironstone and glasses, silverware verses flatware and the number of courses served.
In a formal place setting a large service plates-known as 'chargers'-are placed in the center of each spot; each course with their smaller plate or bowl is set on these chargers.
There is generally more silverware in a formal place setting. The knives, spoons and forks still go on the same side, with the pieces used first are in the outermost positions. The exception to this is if there seafood is to be served; the seafood fork goes on the right.
There is debate upon where the dessert forks and/or spoons are to be placed. Emily Post says they should either be brought in with the dessert plate. "Home Comforts" however, states that dessert utensils should be placed horizontally above the main plate.
As in an informal setting, the glasses should be placed above the tip of the knife, beginning with the water glass. If there is more than one beverage being served glass, the glasses should be slanted downward toward the right or form a 'V.'
