Set It And Forget It
Yes, there is a proper way to set the table. From weeknight family dinners to dinner parties with 3-course meals. This is how you set the table for every occasion.
Basic Settings
When we say "basic" we're talking about your most common setting. The one you use for everything from weeknight family dinners to an easy-going breakfast on Saturday morning.
Basic: The Plate And Napkin
Lay down your placement and the plate goes right in the center, with the napkin to the left.
Basic: Cutlery
The fork goes on the napkin and the knife and spoon are placed next to the plate on the other side. Some things to note: The knife blade should face toward the plate and the bottom of all the utensils should be aligned with the bottom of the plate (the part closest to the person).
Rudchenko Liliia, Shutterstock
Basic: Glassware
For a basic setting there is only one glass required, and it goes in the upper-right hand position—between, and slightly above the plate and the knife.
Casual Settings
Despite the name, a casual setup is used for meals that are a little less casual than those of the basic setting. We will be walking you through the grandest of casual table settings here. However, just note that a good rule of thumb for this one is, you don't need to put anything on the table that you won't be using. Ergo, let the meal you're preparing determine how much of this you follow.
Casual: The Plates And Napkin
Again we lay down the placemat, put the plate in the center and the napkin to the left. Now put the smaller salad plate on the dinner plate and place the soup bowl on the salad plate. Again, if you aren't serving soup or salad then leave those items off.
Casual: Cutlery
This part is exactly the same as the basic setting. The fork goes on the napkin while the knife and spoon go on the other side with the knife on the inside and the blade facing the plate.
Casual: Glassware
In this setup, the water glass is placed directly above the knife and the wine glass (or just another glass) is positioned slightly up and to the right of the first one.
Formal Settings
Okay, this is where things get complicated. This isn't just you and the kids eating mac & cheese on a random Tuesday night. A formal place setting is something you're going to break out for a fancy dinner party with a three-course meal. There are lots of steps here, so let's get started.
Formal: No Placemats
And right off the bat things are different. Unlike the other table settings, many experts suggest not using placemats for a formal dinner setting. Or, if you want to use one, using a circle-shaped placemat placed under the charger. A charger, also known as a service plate, is a large plate used for decorative purposes only and is not used for food.
Formal: The Plates And Napkin
The napkin goes on the left side as always and a bread plate is positioned slightly above and to the left of the charger. Then, directly on the charger you'll place the soup bowl. Then, after the first course, the soup bowls are cleared and replaced with salad plates. Finally, after the salad course is cleared, the dinner plates are brought forth. Usually that is when you would also remove the chargers.
Formal: Cutlery
Another big difference with a formal setting is...a lot more cutlery. Besides the standard fork on the napkin and the knife and spoon on the right (knife blade facing in of course), there's also a smaller salad fork that will join the dinner fork on the napkin.
Remember that bread plate? Well, across said plate you will place a butter knife with the handle to the right and the blade facing the bottom of the plate. Finally, there will be a dessert spoon positioned horizontally just above the charger (handle to the right as well).
Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
Formal: Glassware
The water glass is positioned, as in the casual setting, above and directly in line with the knife. With a formal setting you will also have two wine glasses on the table—one for red and one for white. The white wine glass is placed at about a 45 degree angle, down and to the right of the water glass, while the red wine glass is set above the white and slightly off-center to the right.
Formal: Extras
Are you using place cards for your formal dinner? If so, the card goes above the dessert spoon. Some formal settings go so far as to provide each person with individual salt and pepper shakers, and they would go above the dessert spoon on either side of the place card (pepper to the right and salt to the left). If you aren't using individual shakers you would place the communal shakers in the middle of a circular table or central on each end of a longer rectangle-shaped table.
