Place Setting – Formal Dinner
How to Arrange a Place Setting for a Formal Dinner
Steps
1. Center the soup bowl on top of the dinner plate.
2. Place the forks directly to the left of the plate. The fork for the earliest course (usually salad) should be furthest from the plate, and the next fork in should be for the next course. The dessert fork should thus be closest to the plate.
3. Place the dinner knife directly to the right of the plate, with sharp edge facing the plate. If you will use a fish knife, place that to the right of the dinner knife.
4. Place the spoon(s) to the right of the dinner knife or fish knife. If you will be using a dessert spoon, place that next to the knife. Work outward in reverse chronological order so that any spoon(s) …show more content…
Look at the fibre content; more often than not its 100% Cotton or 100%
Polyester, which in this day and age is easier to use and clean. Seating Dinner Guest
How to Seat Dinner Guests
Steps
1. Decide on the formality of your occasion. Are you having business associates over or friends? Relatives from out of state or your immediate family? The relationship that you have with the people attending your event will determine the formality. As a general guide, a silver service sit-down event should be reserved for professional or very special occasions; a buffet is far more informal and you are less able to control the seating arrangements.
2. Seat people who have common interests together. This is the most helpful starting point. Consider the following:
○ Do they have a need to discuss business together?
○ Do they have hobbies or interests in common?
○ Do they have professions in common?
○ Do they have marital/single status in common? (Perhaps you’re into matchmaking, although some would be irritated by your attempt if they were to figure it out)
○ Do they like one another or not? Be careful of seating people you know have an animosity towards one another unless you want a dampener on the …show more content…
Pair people together. Be creative in your pairings. Sometimes it is customary to pair male/females but this can be stifling to the conversation or uncomfortable for some people. If you know someone to be shy, try to pair them with a caring extrovert. If you think two people who would normally not cross paths will end up having a good yarn, then try it. Being the host calls for exercising some people skills in your choices, as well as during the occasion.
4. Seat guests of honour in order. If you have a guest of honour, for example, a boss, an elderly relative, a visiting superstar (you should be so lucky), there are etiquette rules as to their seating. A female guest of honour usually sits to the right of the host. A male guest of honour usually sits to the left of the hostess.
5. Try opposite ends of the table for the hosts and/or the guests of honour. With two hosts, you should consider sitting yourselves at opposite ends of the table so that you are “sharing yourselves around” your guests. Alternatively, you could seat the guest of honour at the opposite end of the host - for a female guest of honour, seat her opposite the female host and for a male guest of honour, seat him opposite the male host. The remaining host can sit amidst the rest of the group or alongside the guest of honour. Remember, the hosts should try to remain apart as it is the hosts’ duty to make sure the guests are
How to Arrange a Place Setting for a Formal Dinner
Steps
1. Center the soup bowl on top of the dinner plate.
2. Place the forks directly to the left of the plate. The fork for the earliest course (usually salad) should be furthest from the plate, and the next fork in should be for the next course. The dessert fork should thus be closest to the plate.
3. Place the dinner knife directly to the right of the plate, with sharp edge facing the plate. If you will use a fish knife, place that to the right of the dinner knife.
4. Place the spoon(s) to the right of the dinner knife or fish knife. If you will be using a dessert spoon, place that next to the knife. Work outward in reverse chronological order so that any spoon(s) …show more content…
Look at the fibre content; more often than not its 100% Cotton or 100%
Polyester, which in this day and age is easier to use and clean. Seating Dinner Guest
How to Seat Dinner Guests
Steps
1. Decide on the formality of your occasion. Are you having business associates over or friends? Relatives from out of state or your immediate family? The relationship that you have with the people attending your event will determine the formality. As a general guide, a silver service sit-down event should be reserved for professional or very special occasions; a buffet is far more informal and you are less able to control the seating arrangements.
2. Seat people who have common interests together. This is the most helpful starting point. Consider the following:
○ Do they have a need to discuss business together?
○ Do they have hobbies or interests in common?
○ Do they have professions in common?
○ Do they have marital/single status in common? (Perhaps you’re into matchmaking, although some would be irritated by your attempt if they were to figure it out)
○ Do they like one another or not? Be careful of seating people you know have an animosity towards one another unless you want a dampener on the …show more content…
Pair people together. Be creative in your pairings. Sometimes it is customary to pair male/females but this can be stifling to the conversation or uncomfortable for some people. If you know someone to be shy, try to pair them with a caring extrovert. If you think two people who would normally not cross paths will end up having a good yarn, then try it. Being the host calls for exercising some people skills in your choices, as well as during the occasion.
4. Seat guests of honour in order. If you have a guest of honour, for example, a boss, an elderly relative, a visiting superstar (you should be so lucky), there are etiquette rules as to their seating. A female guest of honour usually sits to the right of the host. A male guest of honour usually sits to the left of the hostess.
5. Try opposite ends of the table for the hosts and/or the guests of honour. With two hosts, you should consider sitting yourselves at opposite ends of the table so that you are “sharing yourselves around” your guests. Alternatively, you could seat the guest of honour at the opposite end of the host - for a female guest of honour, seat her opposite the female host and for a male guest of honour, seat him opposite the male host. The remaining host can sit amidst the rest of the group or alongside the guest of honour. Remember, the hosts should try to remain apart as it is the hosts’ duty to make sure the guests are