How to Set a Formal Dining

By: Sanober Ali, Phillip Arce, and Morgan Rushing

Table of Contents iii
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................ v
Needed Dinnerware .................................................................................................... 3
Setting the Dinner Table ............................................................................................ 5
Initial Set-up ........................................................................................................... 5
Dessert Adjustments ............................................................................................... 9
Etiquette Dos and Donts .........................................................................................11
Index .........................................................................................................................13
Bibliography .............................................................................................................15

Introduction v
Introduction
Some special dining occasion require a more formal set up of the dinnerware. In
todays society, only a few people know proper dinner etiquette and how to
properly set a formal dinner. This purpose of this manual is to help anyone through
formal dinner set up and course adjustments. There are countless ways to set a
proper dinner table because each dining occasion is unique. This manual instructs a
simple set-up that anyone can use on many different occasions. For this particular
set up, this manual gives a full list of needed dinnerware, step-by-step instructions
for placement of pieces, and adjustments dessert. This manual also provides proper
etiquette instructions for your formal dinner. We hope this manual is helpful!


Supplies 3
Needed Dinnerware
Set-up for a formal dinner requires more than just your average plates and utensils.
To set a formal dinner, you will need:
Plates
o Bread/Butter plate
o Dinner plate
o Saucer for teacup
o Dessert plate
o Salad plate
Bowls
o Soup Bowl
Glasses
o Red wine class
o White wine glass
o Water glass/goblet
o Teacup
Forks
o Dinner fork
o Dessert fork
o Salad fork
Spoon
o Soup spoon
o Table spoon
o Dessert Spoon
Knifes
o Butter knife
o Table knife
Miscellaneous
o Cloth napkin
Setting the Dinner Table 5
Setting the Dinner Table
We have provided you with step by step instructions for formally setting your
dinner table. Then, we will teach you how to adjust your dinnerware for dessert!
Initial Set-up
1. Gather all supplies (utensils, plates, bowls, ect)

2. The first thing to set down is the main course dinner plate.
a. Should be remotely centered in front of the chair and should line
up with the plate across from it.

3. Place the salad plate on top of the dinner plate; making sure it is directly
in the center. This is done because the salad is usually served before the
dinner and therefore the salad plate can be removed easily upon
finishing.
*Since the meal we planned does not contain salad, we did not include this plate on our
place setting.

4. The soup bowl should be placed directly on top of the salad plate. This
should be centered and in the middle of the salad plate.





Figure 1: The soup bowl is placed on top of the salad plate, which is placed on top of
the dinner plate

Setting the Dinner Table 6
5. The next step is setting silverware.

Left Setting
The left side of the utensil setting contains all the forks
a. Place the dessert fork on the left side of the plates (this utensil
will be the closest to the plate on the left side.
b. Place the dinner fork directly next to the dessert fork (this should
be to the left of the dessert fork and the plates.
c. The outer most fork should be the salad fork (directly next to the
dinner fork)
*Since salad is not being offered in this meal this utensil can be left out or can
remain in the setting to create balance in the setting.
d. Place a folded napkin about an inch away from the last fork on the
left side of the plate

Right Setting
a. On the right side, the first utensil closest to the plate should be the
dinner knife
b. Next, place a teaspoon next to the dinner knife on the right side
c. Lastly, place a soup spoon on the outer most right side directly
next to the teaspoon.

















Figure 2: Utensil setting in relation to the dinner plate
Setting the Dinner Table 7
6. Next, place all drinking utensils
a. All drinking utensils should be on the far right side of the place
setting
b. The first drinking utensil should be a water glass or water goblet
*The water glass should always be placed on the table for each guest regardless of
the beverage ordered by the guest.
c. The next glass should be a wine glass (typically for red wine)
d. If white wine or another wine is being offered, the next glass
should be another wine glass that is placed next to the red wine
glass.
*The wine glasses and the water glass should be placed fairly close to each other on
the far right of the place setting (about an inch apart)
e. Lastly, a teacup with a saucer underneath should be placed on the
furthest right side with about 2 inches of space after the white
wine glass.




Figure 3: Glassware setting
Setting the Dinner Table 8
7. Place the bread and butter plate on the far left side of the place setting.
a. There should be a butter knife/spreader on top of the bread plate
*The bread and butter are usually left on the table during the entire meal, and taken
up right before desert.
*The guest may use the bread and butter for soup and the main course.
















Figure 3: Bread and butter plate is placed in the upper left corner of the setting.
Setting the Dinner Table 9
Dessert Adjustments
1. After the guest has finished his main course, all the dishes and utensils
should be cleaned up, except for the teacup
*A new teacup can be brought out with the desert if the guest used the teacup during the
main meal.

2. A dessert should be placed directly in front of the chair of the guest. This
plate will be used for the desert (pie, cake, ect.)
*Many times the desert will be brought out individually on separate plates. In that matter
there is no need to place an empty plate in front of the guest.

3. A fork and spoon should be placed directly on top of the desert plate.

4. A small bowl for ice cream can be placed on the upper right side near
the teacup.





Figure 4: Adjusting dinnerware for dessert
Etiquette Dos and Donts 11
Etiquette Dos and Donts
Along with a different dinnerware set-up, formal dinners require more proper
behavior in some instances. We have outlined below what to do in special
circumstances.

What to do when a guest is late
Host(ess) should delay dinner up to 20 minutes
The doorman will receive the late guest at the door while host(ess) is still seated
How to handle a seating arrangement
Place cards can be used when there are six or more people
If cards are not used, host(ess) should direct guests to certain seats or recommends
that they find their own places
What to do when a guest has a food allergy
The guest should offer an explanation to the host(ess) as to why they must refuse
the dish
Where to place elbows
Elbows should remain off the table at all times
The order in which utensils are used
Use the outermost utensils first and work your way inwards with each new course




Index 13
Index
dessert, v, 5, 6, 8
Dessert fork, 3
teaspoon, 6
utensils, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14
Water glass, 3


Bibliography 15
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Setting the Dinner Table 16
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