The Formal Setting

Dishes : Put the dinner plate, with salad plate on top, at the center of each place setting. A butter plate with butter knife laid across it is placed above and to the left of the dinner place.

Utensils : Place the salad fork (the smaller one) and dinner fork to the left of the dinner plate; the dinner knife, soup spoon, and seafood fork to the right; and the dessert fork and teaspoon horizontally above the dinner plate.

Glasses : Place the wine glass above and to the right of the knife, the water goblet directly above the knife's tip, and the champagne flute behind the wine glass. Only put out the glassware you'll need -- if you're not serving champagne, don't use your flutes.

Service Plates : You may include service plates, also known as chargers, at your formal dinner parties. If you don't have them, you might think about adding them to your china collection. Chargers are oversized china or porcelain plates (usually 12 inches wide) that are put under dinner plates to add color to the table during the first two courses. They often have banded rims or come in solid shades, and are removed once the entree is served. Not only do chargers add a dash of color, they also do a good job of protecting your tablecloth.

At a formal dinner party, seats are usually assigned. Put a place card with the guest's name handwritten on it at each setting. The layout generally goes boy-girl, but couples shouldn't sit next to each other -- they know each other well enough already. The hosts should sit at opposite ends of the table if it's rectangular.
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