Can’t remember which side the napkin goes on?
Now, you need afew good recipes, and you’re ready to entertain!
Casual Place controls
Not every get-together requires formal place controls.
Credit: Adam Albright
Instead, choose something casual when hosting impromptu parties and lunches with friends or family.
The glass goes above the knife.
Informal Dinners or Luncheons
Add an extra fork for salad and servewarefor dessertfor informal dinners.
You may also choose to add awine glassto each setting.
Ifserving dessert, place a dessert spoon and fork above the plate, pointing left and right, respectively.
Arrange glasses,bread plate, and bread knife as directed for formal sit-down meals, below.
Credit: Adam Albright
Formal Place tweaks
For formal occasions,like holidays, go all out with your place tweaks.
Depending on what you’re serving, you’ll need multiple spoons, forks, and possibly knives.
You’ll also need acloth napkinfor each place, napkin rings (if desired), and place cards.
Place a knife (blade edge in) next to the plate.
Then, place spoons to the right of the knife in order of use from the outside in.
Place forks to the left of the plate in order of use from the outside in.
If you’re using abread plate, place it above the forks.
A butter knife may be placed across the bread plate.
The salad plate is placed left of the forks.
Add Decor to Your Table
Any place setting design will be enhanced with a centerpiece.
Golight and casualfor a low-key summer dinner.
Christmas can be expensive, butlow-cost table decorcan help save money.
Experiment with combinations until you find something that works for your event.
