10 Steps to Create a Formal Table Setting

how to to Create a Formal Table Setting

There’s nothing quite as elegant as a dinner table with a beautiful formal table setting for each guest. This can turn an ordinary meal into one that’s extraordinary. And make every person at the table feel like they’re part of something special. However, recreating the table settings you see in magazines or on television can turn out to be far more challenging than you anticipate. Even with a keen eye for detail you could miss something. And just like that you might turn your exciting vision into a stressful situation. Fortunately there’s no reason to worry!

The steps below make it e-a-s-y to create a formal table setting that exceeds your expectations. Follow these rules and why not try other decorating ideas for your formal table! It will definitely worth your while and your guests will love it!

Create a formal table setting easily

Image: Photography  Kristen Weaver found on june bug weddings

10 Steps to Create a Formal Table Setting

Step 1: Place Your Place Mat

Whether you’ve chosen a place mat with a graphic design or one that’s more traditional, it’s the first thing that should go on your clean table. One place mat should go in front of each chair where individual guests will be seated. If these need to be cleaned, now is the time to wash them!

Step 2: Place the Plates

Create your formal table setting by place the largest plate for dinner service directly on top of your place mat. Make sure it’s in the center so as to achieve a more enjoyable aesthetic. Then, place the salad plate in the middle of this.

Step 3: Place the Bowl

The soup bowl is next in line and should be set directly on top of the salad plate. However, if you don’t plan on serving soup, you may want to place an appetizer plate on top of the salad plate instead.

Step 4: Arrange the Left Side of the Setting

The dinner fork is one of the largest in the setting as a whole and should be on the left of your plates on the place mat. Additionally, the smaller salad fork belongs on the left of the dinner fork. Both should also be placed vertically so they line up with the place mat.

Step 5: Arrange the Right Side of the Setting

The service knife, which looks like a butter knife, goes to the right of the plates and on top of the place mat. What is more, to the right of this goes the coffee spoon and on the right of that goes the soup spoon.

Step 6: Arrange the Top of the Setting

The cake fork should be just above the place mat in a horizontal position (the fork prongs should be facing right). Above this should go the desert spoon, also in a horizontal position (although the rounded edge should face left).

Step 7: Arrange the Bread and Butter Plate

The small bread and butter plate should be at the top left of the setting, just over the corner of the place mat.

Step 8: Arrange the Bread and Butter Knife

The unique bread and butter knife should be placed on top of the bread plate, diagonal to the service plates.

Step 9: Arrange Drinking Glasses

Drinking glasses should be at the top right of the setting, off of the place mat. In general, these should be there in the order of use.

Step 10: Arrange the Napkin

The last step is to position your napkin outside of the place mat on the left hand side. Enjoy!

Tags: decor for formal occasions, table etiquette and manners

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