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Proper Table Setting Ettiquette

by Damin Chu

Overview

Everything must be properly spaced for a table setting. The centerpiece must be at the exact center of the table, and the place settings should be spaced equally away from each other. Geometric spacing keeps the table aesthetic and orderly. The placement of flower arrangements and other decorations is more flexible, but it looks better when decorations are arranged symmetrically around the centerpiece.
General Considerations

Place settings are traditionally arranged in an "outside in" order. This means that a proper table setting is assembled with the guest and the meal in mind. For each course, the person dining will be using the utensils farthest away from his plate, using utensils closer and closer to the plate as the meal progresses. Up to three knives and three forks can be placed alongside each plate. The exception is an oyster fork, which can be placed beside three other forks. If a meal involves more than three courses before dessert, the utensils for courses following the third course are brought out with the dish. The salad fork and knife can be omitted from table settings, and introduced to the table when the salad is brought out. The same goes for dessert utensils, which are placed on the dessert plate when dessert is served.

Plates

A service plate, or charger, is a large plate used during the courses leading up to the main course. During the first courses, the charger is not cleared from the table. Instead, the plates with food are brought in from the kitchen and placed on top of the service plate. The service plate is replaced with the main entrée plate later in the meal. The butter plate is the other plate commonly used at a table setting. It should be placed in the left hand corner of a place setting, over the forks.
Forks

There are three main forks utilized during a larger meal: a dinner fork, fish fork and salad fork. The dinner fork, also known as the place fork, is the largest fork. It is placed directly the left of the plate and will be used last. The remaining forks are ordered according to when they will be used. If a salad is served first, followed by a fish course, then the salad fork would be placed farthest to the left of all the forks, with the fish fork directly to its right.
Knives and Spoons

In general, knives are always placed on the table with the blade facing the plate. There are three oft-used knives at table settings: the dinner knife, fish knife, and salad knife. The dinner knife is generally placed directly to the right of the dinner plate. The fish knife is placed directly to the right of the dinner knife. If the salad is the last course, besides dessert, the salad knife would be placed directly to the right of the plate. If the salad is served first, the salad knife would be placed to the right of the fish knife. A butter knife is a placed diagonally on the butter plate with the handle pointing at the service plate and the blade facing down. If there is a spoon for a soup or fruit course, it should be placed to the right of the knives.
Glasses

The total number of glasses at one place setting should not exceed five. The water glass should be positioned directly above the knives, with a champagne flute to the right of it. Depending on what is being served to guests, a red wine glass, a white wine glass, and a sherry glass can be placed slightly in front of the water and champagne glass, in that order from left to right.