How to Set Your Dinner Table
Setting the table is often a stressful task that leaves us unsure about the correct way to place cutlery, plates, glasses and napkins on the table. Your dinner plans shouldn't be stressful; they're supposed to be enjoyable. If you want it to be a little fancier, simply add to the basic table setting and work your way up from there.
Basic Setting
This is appropriate for most occasions, and you just add to the basic pieces as needed.
1. Place the dinner plate in the centre of the place setting and place everything else is around it.
2. The cutlery is arranged around the plate in the order in which it will be used. To the left of the plate is the fork. To the right of the plate is knife and spoon. The knife is placed to the right of the plate with the sharp edge toward the plate. To the right of the knife is the spoon.
3. A glass of water goes above the knife.
4. Napkins can be placed under the forks or on the plate for an informal setting.
Informal Setting
Simply start with a basic setting and add to it.
1. If you are serving a salad, the salad fork is placed to the left of the dinner fork.
2. If you are serving soup, set the bowl on the plate and a spoon to the right of the beverage spoon.
3. Salad or bread and butter plates go to the left of the forks. Position butter plates above with the butter knife placed across the plate.
4. Cup and saucer go above the spoons with the handle toward the right. Wine or water glasses can be positioned to the left of the coffee cup.
Formal Setting
Here are the instructions for preparing a formal table if you wish to host a formal dinner:
1. Like with the other two settings, place the dinner plate in the middle of the place setting and everything else around it. Your starter plate and soup plate should then be placed on top of the dinner plate.
2. In the order that it will be used, the cutlery is positioned around the plate. The forks are located to the left of the dish; your dinner fork is on the inside, followed by your salad fork. The knife, teaspoon, and table spoon are positioned to the right of the plate, going from the inside out. The cake fork should be positioned above the dessert spoon, pointing in the same direction as the top of the dessert spoon at the top of the dish.
3. On the right, just above the teaspoon or tablespoon, a white wine glass is placed, followed by a glass of water. The red wine glass will then be placed next to the white wine glass, just below it.
4. The dinner fork should be placed above the bread plate and butter knife.
5. You can add place cards right over the cake fork and lay napkins on top of the plates.
