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Setting the Table
- Attention to detail is important. The table should be immaculately laid. Table linen and napkins need to be freshly laundered, candles should be new
- Tip: Candles are a must for a dinner party, but never for a lunch and there should be fresh seasonal flowers on the table
- Silverware needs to be polished, and glasses absolutely gleaming
- Seating
Placement of guests is very important. The host should sit at the head of the table, with his leading female guest on his right, and the hostess at the foot of the table with the most important male guest on her right. Couples are always split up, with the exception of engaged couples. Guests should be arranged in a boy, girl, boy, girl sequence. Known gropers should be seated next to the plainest of the company
- Place Cards
These should always be handwritten in fountain pen, and never typed
- Laying the Table
If you are using a table cloth, remember always to make sure that the cloth is square on the table, with the centre crease directly in the middle and an equal and generous amount of overhang all around
Next arrange your centrepiece. This could be a bowl of fruit, an ornament or a vase of flowers. Whether large or small it is vital that the centrepiece does not prevent conversation with the person opposite you. Flowers, as well as being short-stemmed, should not be too fragrant, as they can interfere with the aroma of the food
- Napkins
Napkins can be placed in the centre of the place, where the dinner plate will go, or on the side plate. The most simple folding of a napkin is folding it in half twice, to achieve a square
- Glasses
Lay glasses last to avoid knocking them over. They are placed on the right-hand side of the setting, just above the dinner knife, and are arranged from front to back in the order in which they will be used, or in little clusters. The water glass is placed slightly behind and on the left of the wine glasses. Remember to lay a glass for each drink you are serving and to pick them up by the stem only, to avoid leaving finger marks
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