How to Set a Dining Table When Entertaining at Home

How to Set a Dining Table When Entertaining at Home

Bryce Sanders, President

Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.

Entertaining at home is a lot cheaper than dining out. Years ago, a former restaurant owner explained the raw material cost of the meal should not exceed 25% of the posted? menu price.? This means preparing a lavish meal at home can be significantly cheaper than dining out.

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How do you set a table?? There are plenty of ways this can be approached.? Let us assume you want to wow your guests and set a standard.? You will need the necessary components, but you can probably borrow what you don’t have from friends.? Just remember not to break anything and wash everything before returning.

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Covering the table.? You have two options:? Using a tablecloth or placemats.? Placemats are easier.? Ideally they are fabric.? Solid colors are best.? They all match.? The napkins match too.

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Napkins.? These can be folded and placed to the left of the dinner plate with the fork on top.? They could be slipped into a round napkin ring and set on the dinner plate in the 12:00 to 6:00 o’clock position.? They could be folded into a fancy shape and set on the dinner plate.

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Plates.? You want a dinner plate in front of each diner.? This is part of the “photo ready” setup.? If the meal is served family style and diners serve themselves from serving dishes on the table, the dinner plate stays in position.? If you are preparing the meal in the kitchen, collect the dinner plates when everyone is seated, plate the meal in the kitchen and deliver a plate to each diner.? You could also choose to plate the meal before diners sit down, so their meal is in front of them.

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Cutlery.? These are the knives forms and spoons.? In a basic place setting, the fork goes on the left hand side of the plate and the knife on the right.? If beef, pork or lamb is served, you want to provide diners with a sharper knife, generally called a steak knife.? It can be cool to have the dessert fork and coffee spoon at the 12:00 position above the plate towards the center of the table.? It looks fancy.

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Glassware.? Logically you want both a water and wine glass at each setting.? The water glass, often shorter, is to the top right of the knife.? The wine glass continues on a 45-degree line towards the diner seated opposite.? Put another way, the glasses are at the top right-hand corner of the placemat.? One on the top of the right-hand side, the other at the far right of the top side of the placemat.

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Place cards.? ?These might seem unnecessary, but if you are seating more than two couples, they can make sense.? If you have eight or ten people around the table, you might like to control who sits and where.? Generally seating alternates between boy – girl – boy – girl.

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Other table items.? Salt and pepper should be on the table.? One set is enough.? If you are placing bottles of wine (or water) on the table, there should be coasters underneath.? You might have candles on the table.? Candlelight tends to show off your diners in a flattering way.? One pair in candleholders should be enough.? If the table is large, you might have flowers in the center.

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Background music.? Ideally you want some but avoid vocals.? Go for soft instrumental music.

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Knowing how to set a table can be ideal for date nights, birthdays, anniversaries, major holidays or family entertaining.

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Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.? He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry.? His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” is available on Amazon.

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