How To Set A Table — Set A Casual, Informal, And Formal Table

When you’re throwing a party, whether it’s 30 or 3 people, knowing how to set a table properly is an easy way to impress your guests. The “ooo”s and “ahhs” you get as people flock to your dining room to see a fully set table will be worth the effort. Forks and knives glitter in the candlelight, freshly pressed linen napkins are gently placed over themed plates, crystal wine glasses sparkle in the light, one for red, one for white, perfectly placed between the plates.

Creating this scene might seem intimidating, but if you know where to place all the different elements of a table setting, you can easily put together a chic table with minimal effort. To figure out exactly where to place everything, we turned to etiquette expert Lizzie Post of the Emily Post Institute. Yes, the family business was founded by etiquette writer Emily Post in the early 1900s.

The most important thing for them is the comfort of their guests. “I really want my guests to be able to sit comfortably next to each other, so I’ll think about the spacing,” she said. “I also really want my guests to be able to see each other, converse, and converse around the table.” That means no huge centerpieces or tall flower arrangements breaking up the table.

How to set a table

Depending on how fancy you want to be, you can set a table that reflects different levels of formality. The Emily Post Institute refers to these levels as casual, informal, and formal. The more formal the table, the more items on the table.

casual

Think of most everyday dinners where the table is set. It’s a little fancier than a Tuesday night family dinner, but in no way fussy. “I don’t think anyone is going to bat an eyelid when a fork is placed on a cloth napkin or on a paper napkin,” Post said.

The plate comes in the middle. The napkin (cloth or paper) is folded, placing the fork at the top left of the plate. The spoon and knife are placed knife first to the right of the plate, the blade facing the plate. The water glass is straight off the right knife tip.

Informal

Think of a low-key dinner party. It’s still fancier than your weekends just for us because you’ve got guests coming over but aren’t completely clearing out your dresser cupboard with everything you’ve got on your wedding list.

In addition to the casual atmosphere, there is a salad plate and soup bowl stacked on the dinner plate. These are cleared out after each course. In addition to the water glass, there is also a wine glass. “Your water glass comes closest to the tip of a knife,” Post said of his position. “It’s going to be the most accessible lens. If you think about your plate setting, it’s at a 40-degree angle.”

Formally

Here you can get everything out – crockery of all sizes, several wine glasses for each person, cutlery for every dish. Before you get overwhelmed, let’s break it down.

The Flatware: The only flatware added here is a smaller salad fork. Always insert cutlery in the order of use, from the outside to the inside. As with the first courses, the salad fork and soup spoon are on the outside. The dessert spoon can be placed over the plate for later when eating or brought to dessert.

Napkins: If you can, switch to cloth napkins. And if you want to get really fancy, you can even press them. “It’s attached to the left of the fork, so you don’t have to move the forks to get to the napkin,” Post said. “The serviette is often folded in such a way that you really only have to lift one corner and the whole thing unfolds. You are not dealing with a napkin ring.”

Glasses: Use the same rule as before. Hold the water glass closest to the plate setting and group or line up the wine glasses behind it. “If you wanted a champagne toast to start the meal, put that in front of the white wine glass,” Post said. “The idea is that the glasses should follow the order of the courses, except for the water.”

Teller: The Teller setup is the same, but a charger has been added for decoration. There is also a bread plate on the top left. “That’s on the table from the start and is cleared before the dessert course is served,” Post said.