Erdman 1 Carissa Erdman Speech Communication Dr.

Maxwell February 2013 Set to Impress: Formal Table Setting In her book April Lady, Georgette Heyer wrote, It was growing late, and though one might stand on the brink of a deep chasm of disaster, one was still obliged to dress for dinner. Proper etiquette at the table was common in the 1800s, when this statement was penned, and the tradition continues today. Although not every dinner is considered formal, those that are require not only proper dress, but other forms of proper table etiquette as well. Today, I want to share with you the history and specifics of one facet of table etiquette table settings. I. According to Edwardian Promenade, the history of table setting begins with the A. Saltcellar 1. Container that held salt for the meal 2. Highly important 3. Determined places of honor (sitting above the salt) B. Utensils 1. Originally brought by the guest 2. Forks became common by the reign of Charles II 3. This utensil spurred the usage of many types of silverware, plates, bowls, and glasses C. Decorations

Erdman 2 1. Brought to Russia in 1811, but did not become popular in England or America until the 1870s 2. Emphasis was placed not only on the food being served, but how the table was prepared visually 3. Presentation was key a. Fancy tablecloths b. Centerpieces c. Fine china II. According to eHow, there are two types of table settings. A. Formal 1. Meal with many courses 2. Usually variety of wines 3. The initial place setting may contain all the silverware to be used throughout the meal or only the silverware for the first course; this depends upon the use of a wait staff. 4. Many plates and cutlery will be used because separate dishes and silverware are required for each course B. Informal 1. Typically only one or two courses 2. Separate silverware are not required for appetizer, salad, and entre, but only for dessert 3. Only a few plates and up to two glasses are necessary III. How to Set a Table

Erdman 3 A. Important things to remember 1. Spacing and balanced aesthetics 2. Leave enough room between each place setting (about 2 feet from plate center to plate center this is for elbow room) 3. Use plates as a guide to space and balance the rest of the dishes and silverware B. Starting Simply Informal Table Setting 1. Plate is center of place setting, edge roughly aligned with the edge of the table 2. Utensils are placed one inch from the edge of the table 3. Forks are placed on the left; the knife is on the right closest to the plate, with the blade facing the plate; the spoons are on the right outside the knife 4. Utensils are placed so that they can be used from the outside in (for example, the salad fork is on the outside, as is the soup spoon) 5. The water glass is placed an inch or two above the tip of the knife, and if wine will be served, the wine glass is placed to the right and slightly below the water glass. C. More Complex - Formal Table Setting 1. As always, begin by placing the dinner plate at the center of the place setting, 2 inches from the edge of the table. 2. Silverware a. Utensils are placed in the same manner, forks on the left in order of use (from the outside in), knife on the innermost right with the cutting edge facing the plate, and spoons on the right in order of use.

Erdman 4 b. Another set of utensils will be coming into play dessert utensils which are centered above the dinner plate and parallel to the edge of the table. 3. Plates and Bowls a. The salad plate may be placed above and to the left of the forks or on top of the dinner plate. b. The bread plate is also placed above and to the left of the forks. If the salad plate is placed there as well, the bread plate should be placed above and slightly to the right of the salad plate. c. The soup bowl is placed on top of the dinner plate. If soup AND salad are being served, the salad plate and the soup bowl should not both be placed on top of the dinner plate. 4. Cups and Glasses a. The water glass is placed above the dinner knife, and other glasses (such as white wine, red wine, and champagne) are placed in a cascading manner below and to the right of the water glass. b. If coffee will be served with the meal, the coffee cup and saucer are placed to the right of the spoons. However, you may choose to place the coffee cup and saucer on the table at a later time if coffee will only be served with dessert. 5. Napkins and Name Cards a. For a strictly formal setting, the napkin should be placed in a drinking glass. It is also acceptable to place it on the plate or to the left of the forks, but these are less formal options.

Erdman 5 b. A formal place setting always has a name card, which is placed above the dessert silverware to the left of the drinking glasses. Once you place the final name card on the table, do not yet believe you are finished. There are a few more vital steps to properly setting the table you must sit down by the place with your name on the card, breathe a sigh of relief, and enjoy the food on your plate and the company at your side. When you have adequately accomplished these final steps, you can rest assured that you have officially created a proper table setting.

Erdman 6 Works Cited Heyer, Georgette. April Lady. Naperville, IL: Source Casablanca, 2011. 188-89. Print. Rogier, Mandi. "Types of Table Settings." EHow. Demand Media, 12 Dec. 2008. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. "Setting the Table." Edwardian Promenade RSS. N.p., 4 May 2009. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.