How To Set a Formal Table

Where to Place All of the Plates, Glasses and Utensils for a Formal Dinner

A special occasion is often a good excuse to polish up the silver, pull out the wedding china, and iron the linens. But as you stand there staring at your best table setting bits and pieces, you struggle to remember just where it all goes. Don't worry because the rules for setting a formal table were established long ago, and the protocol is clear.

Table Linens

Begin by examining your table cloth and linens. Be sure there aren't any stains that need to be treated first. Spread your cloth on the table, making sure the center fold extends in a neat line down your table.

Service Plates

Next, place the service plate (also known as the charger plate) on the table in front of where each guest will sit. It serves as both a decorative item under the early dinner courses, as well as a place holder so there isn't an empty table in front of your guests. The added bonus for the hostess is that it helps to keep your table cloth clean! That plate will stay on the table until the dinner course is served.

Napkins

Place your folded napkin on the service plate, with the monogram (if there is one) facing the diner. However, if the first course will be placed on the table before the guests are seated, you should lay the napkin to the left of the flatware on the left side of the plate.

Bread and Butter Plate

Put the bread and butter plate at the 10:00 position in relation to the service plate. You can now put the butter knife on top of the plate, in a slightly diagonal position, pointing at the 11:00 spot.

Stemware

Place the water glass in the 1:00 position of the place setting. The red or white wine glass should go to the right, and just below the water glass.

If you're serving champagne, the champagne glass should go to the right, and just above the wine glass. If sherry will be on the after dinner menu, the sherry glass sits to the right of the wine glass.

Flatware

Once the glasses are all set, you can move on to the flatware. First place the dinner knife to the right of the service plate. If serving a fish course, the fish knife is placed next to the dinner knife.

The soup spoon comes next, right beside the fish knife, and if you're using a fruit spoon, that is placed next to the soup spoon. If you're serving shellfish, the oyster fork is the last in this lineup.

Now we turn to the left side of the dinner plate. The salad fork is put down first, next to the service plate. That is followed by the dinner fork, finishing with the fish fork placed last on the far left. When dining formally, the dessert flatware is brought out with the dessert course.

Finishing Touches

Your final touches are handwritten place cards which can be placed above the service plate, and any candles or flower arrangements that will be decorating the table.