If you are having a formal dinner at your house, you need to make sure that the table setting is just perfect. Check out the etiquette for proper table setting.

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How To Set A Formal Table

Having a formal dinner at your home is not at all a simple affair. You have to keep account of so many things, right from formal invitations and decorations to the menu as well as the clothes that you will be wearing. Amongst the most important, but many times overlooked, aspects of formal dinner preparations is the setting of a formal table. You need to be very precise while carrying out the table setting for a formal dinner. In case you do not have much idea about the same, there is no need to panic. In the following lines, we have provided some great tips that will help you in the formal table setting.
 
How to Set a Formal Table (Five-course Meal)
 
Items Needed 
  • Cutlery (if possible, of silver)
  • Linen Napkins
  • Glasses
  • Tablecloth (preferably white) 
Instructions 
  • First of all, take out your best white tablecloth and spread it on the dining table.
  • Next, take out your cutlery, preferably silver, and glasses and clean them thoroughly.
  • Place the dinner plates on the table, on front of the chairs. Make sure to maintain the same distance between all plates.
  • The salad or bread plates will be placed slightly above the dinner plate and to its left.
  • Fold the napkins, in the shape of a triangle, and place them right in the center of the dinner plate.
  • To the right of the plate, place all the knives. Make sure that the knife to be used first is farthest from the plate and the blades of all the knives face the plate.
  • The forks will be placed on the left side of the plate. Again, the forks to be used first will be farthest from the plate. Only the desert fork will be at the head of the plate.
  • All the spoons go to the right of the knives, with the exception of dessert spoon that is placed at the head of the plate, along with the dessert fork. Remember, the spoon to be used first will be farthest from the plate.
  • The glasses are placed above the knives. The glass closest to the plate will be the water one. Thereafter, you will place the red wine glass, white wine glass, sherry glass and then, champagne glass, one after the other.
  • The coffee cup is always placed to the right of the dinner plate, just besides it.
  • If you want, you can bring a finger bowl at the end of the meal. The bowl is always placed on the dessert plate.

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