Proper Place Settings for Meals

• The right place setting makes a dinner table perfect.place setting image by Joann Cooper from Fotolia.com
  
  Learning the proper order for place settings requires no more than learning the basic structure for setting a table. The order of dinnerware, glasses and silverware depends upon the type of meal you intend to serve. Once you understand the differences between basic, informal and formal place settings, you will know the etiquette for setting any dinner table.
  
  

Basic

• Place the fork on a napkin in a basic place setting.fouchette et assiette image by pgm from Fotolia.com
  
  Basic place settings are the easiest. The Emily Post Institute provides directions for the simplest table settings. Place a dinner plate in the center of the place or place mat. Set the fork on a napkin to the left of the plate. Place the knife--its blade facing the plate--and the spoon respectively to the right of the plate. The bread and butter plate goes to the left of the setting. Glasses and/or cups and saucers belong on the right of the setting.
  
  

Informal

• Informal place settings may vary in form.place setting image by robert lerich from Fotolia.com
  
  Informal place settings depend upon the menu. The Emily Post Institute diagrams a place setting for a meal with a soup course, salad or first course, an entree and a dessert. Place the dinner plate first with the napkin on the plate. Two forks--one dinner fork and one smaller salad or appetizer fork--go to the left of the plate. Place the first fork to be used at the outermost left and the other fork beside the plate. Put the knife to the right of the plate, blade facing the plate. Place spoons, in order of use, to right of the knife. For a dinner with a soup course, put the soup spoon to the far right. All drinking glasses lay just above the knife and spoons. Set a bread plate--optional--above any forks with a butter knife diagonally across the edge of the plate. If you will use dessert flatware, place it horizontally above the dinner plate.
  
  

Formal

• Formal place settings conform to specific standards.place setting silver & blue 1 image by JJAVA from Fotolia.com
  
  Formal place settings comprise the most elaborate of all place settings. Every piece must be geometrically spaced with each setting equidistant from the centerpiece. Formal place settings depend upon the menu. The Emily Post diagram refers to a meal with a shellfish appetizer, a first course of soup or fruit, a fish course, entree and salad.
  
  Begin with a server plate, the plate beneath the plate that holds the first course. After the first course, exchange the server plate for the entrée plate. Place a butter plate above the forks and to the left of the center plate. Smaller forks go to the left of the largest fork. Since the fish course is the first course, lay the fish fork to the outermost left of all the forks. If you serve a salad after the entrée, place the salad fork next to the plate. Place the dinner knife and the fish knife to the right of the server plate respectively. First course soup or fruit spoons lay to the right of the knives. Lay the oyster fork to the right of all spoons. Set as many as five glasses just above the knives, water goblet first and champagne flute to the right of the goblet. Place red and/or white wine glasses and a sherry glass in front of the larger glasses. Serve dessert with the appropriate forks and spoons.