Setting a formal table may seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. Keep in mind that your menu choices will guide how you place the utensils. You’ll use the utensils from the outside in.
Placement of the Dinnerware
Your dinnerware will center each place setting. The large service plate acts as the underplate, sitting beneath the plate that holds the first course after that’s brought to the table. The service plate stays in its place through all subsequent courses until the plate that holds the main meal is served. At that point, you’ll exchange the two plates. The butter plate, a smaller plate, sits above the forks on the left side of the setting.
How to Arrange the Flatware
Once you have your service plate set, it’s time to move to the flatware. Place the dinner fork, which is the largest of your forks, on the left side of the plate. From there, the smaller forks used for other courses need to be arranged according to when you’ll use them.
If you’re serving a fish course, the small fish fork goes to the left of the dinner fork since it will be the first fork in use. If salad comes after your entrée, you’ll set the salad fork, another small fork, to the right of the dinner fork so it’s next to the plate. On the other hand, if you’re serving the salad course followed by a fish course, all before you get to the entrée, arrange your forks in this order from left to right: salad fork, fish fork, and dinner fork.
There’s one exception to the rule of forks going on the left side of the plate. When you serve shellfish, you also need an oyster fork. You’ll place the oyster fork all the way to the right of the setting, after the spoons. An oyster fork is the only fork you’ll ever put on the right side of your plate.
Your knife placement mirrors your forks. Place the large dinner knife to the right of the dinner plate. When there’s a fish course as part of your meal, you’ll put the specially shaped fish knife on the right side of the dinner knife. Some formal tables also use a salad knife. If you’re having salad following your main meal and do have a salad knife, place it next to the dinner plate and to the left of the dinner knife. When you serve salad first and fish after that, the order for the knives is dinner knife, fish knife, and then salad knife.
Though it doesn’t sit with your other knives, the butter knife is also an integral part of any formal table. This small knife goes on top of the butter plate. Make sure to place it on top of the plate diagonally, and that the handle is on the right and the blade down.
And don’t forget your spoons! You’ll likely serve either fruit or soup as your first course. You should place the accompanying spoon in that case to the right of your knives.
Setting up the Glasses
Glasses go to the right of your setting. Place glasses above the knives and spoons. You can use up to five glasses on a formal table, and again, you’ll place them in the order that they’ll be used. If you’re using more than three glasses, you can also put the smaller glasses in front.
Place your water goblet right above the knives. To the right of that, put a white or red wine glass, depending on your choice for the meal. From there, place a champagne flute or sherry glass to the right of the wine glasses so you have something to go with your first course or to make a toast. Remember to remove glassware used for each course at the end of that course.
Napkins and Tablecloths
Napkins and tablecloths add the final elegant touch to your formal table, so make sure your setup is crisp. White linens are the most formal option, though some people today choose patterned or colorful tablecloths in tasteful styles.
Before you start with the plates, glasses, and silverware, spread a tablecloth so that it hangs evenly at each side and end. Once you finish the arrangement, put your napkin on top of the service place. It’s also appropriate to place it on the left side of your forks; if you’re running low on space, you can put the napkin under the forks.
Perfect for a meal at home that’s more than three courses, a formal table makes a holiday meal or dinner party something special. Just remember to keep your formal table symmetrical, with a centerpiece in the precise center, settings placed evenly around the table, and silverware aligned and sitting the same distance from the table’s edge. You’ll create the setting for a memorable meal.
