Raised by restauranteurs, I was taught dining etiquette earlier than most kids learn to ride a bike. It was, and still is, an unspoken religion at home. In my mind, however, table setting, unlike dining etiquette, can have many different (and still appropriate) interpretations.
I recently set a table for a fancy dinner party and I realized I didn’t know all the “rules.” Don’t get me wrong, I knew where the forks and knives went, but the oodles of glasses were terribly confusing. So, I came home, searched the internet and found a number of different visuals. In the end, they are all basically the same with a few minor changes.
A classic table setting from Mrs. Lillien.
Emily Post: Basic Table Setting
Emily Post: Informal Place Setting
Emily Post: Formal Table Setting
Dining do's and don'ts.
Elle Decoration lays the table.
My friend Sarah was recently featured in this great video illustrating a few modern table setting interpretations.
But at the end of the day, it’s all about the food, not the table setting. Right? Most of us just don’t live in a reality where we need four glasses or a seafood fork. In our modern era, dining is an adventure and table setting is part of that experience.
