With all the holiday entertaining coming up, we’ve been thinking about polishing our table setting skills. We discovered a great infographic that was exactly what we needed to help us brush up on our etiquette.
The diagram below visually illustrates both a formal and an informal table setting—a Table Setting 101, so to speak. Because of the menu and the dishes to be served the layout may vary a bit. For instance in the formal setting, if no cake will be served, the cake fork may be omitted. In other words, this is a guide to simplify the process of providing every piece of china, glassware or silverware guests will need to enjoy their meal.
(via)
In addition to the table setting guide above, we’ve pulled together a few tips that help assure a dinner table will be beautiful and meticulously appointed.
Details to check:
- Linens are pristine and ironed to smooth perfection
- China, silver and glassware are sparkling clean with no water spots visible
- All pieces of the dinner service are laid out in perfect alignment, each setting being identical in layout
- Centerpieces and candles do not block the view, so guests can easily converse during dinner
Knowing everything is in place, a hostess can relax and enjoy the food and visiting with guests. For more table setting tips, here’s a terrific Ideabook from Houzz contributor Laura Gaskill, ‘Holiday Party Prep: Plan Your Table Settings“.