Place Settings & Buffet Layouts
There are countless ways to set a table. COUNTLESS. There are also countless opinions about etiquette and all the “rules” related to place settings. I’m cutting through the noise and, pulling from my years as an event planner and owner of a party rental business, sharing my go-to place settings for the most common, at-home events. I’ve diagramed each scenario below, along with tips and notes. Of course, there are occasions that require much more elaborate place settings. When in doubt, a thorough Google search will lead you to the right resources.
Breakfast Place Setting
Mary’s Notes: You may also rest the folded napkin to the left of the salad fork. If you wish to include a menu, it rests on top of the dinner plate. A place card, if desired, sits above the dinner plate. A juice glass is optional, as are the bread plate, butter knife, and soup spoon (depends on the menu).
Luncheon Place Setting
Mary’s Notes: Unless lunch service is buffet-style, the luncheon plate does not start on the table. If lunch is served to your table, and there is a first course, the salad plate (or soup bowl) arrives first and then the luncheon plate arrives after the salad plate is removed. A dessert plate follows the entrée and removal of the luncheon plate. If desired, a wine glass sits to the right of the water glass. A soup spoon only rests on the table if soup is served. A place card is optional.
Casual Dinner Place Setting
Mary’s Notes: Unless it is a buffet, the dinner plate would not start on the table. Instead, you can rest a menu card in the center of the place setting or leave that space open. A salad plate (or soup bowl) is used for the first course, and a dinner plate is used for the entrée, which arrives after the salad plates are removed. Following the removal of the dinner plate, a dessert plate is used for the third course. A soup spoon only rests on the table if soup is served.
For a buffet, the dinner plate is most often used for the entire meal (what would typically be served as a first course and entrée). The dessert plates are placed on a separate buffet for dessert service. Sometimes the “main meal” is offered buffet-style and then dessert is served at each place setting once the dinner plates are removed.
You can also combine a seated dinner with a buffet dinner. This means that servers pass out the first course while guests are seated. Following the first course, servers remove the salad plates (or soup bowls) and guests go through a buffet for the entrée. Once all guests have finished the main course, servers remove the dinner plates and pass out the dessert course.
Semi-Formal Dinner Place Setting
Mary’s Notes: You can also rest a charger plate on the table, which is used for decor and/or service. If it is used for service, the charger plate is the only plate on the table until the first course is served (on a salad plate or in a soup bowl). The charger plate is removed with the first course and then the dinner plate is brought in with the entrée. The dinner plate is removed after service and a dessert plate is brought to the table. In lieu of offering two wine glass options on the table (one for red and one for white), some people use an all-purpose wine glass, which works for both red and white wine. A champagne glass can be added if needed, and it sits to the top right of the water glass. A soup spoon only rests on the table if soup is served.
Formal Dinner Place Setting
Mary’s Notes: The first course is served on a salad plate or in a soup bowl and sits on top of the charger plate. The charger plate is removed after the first course (with the appetizer plate), and the entrée is served on a dinner plate that rests directly on the table. The coffee cup and saucer are most often brought to the table with the dessert plate (the third course). The salad plate can also rest on the table to the top left, but it is most often served at the table. The dinner napkin can rest slightly under the charger plate, on top of the charger plate (under a menu), or to the left of the forks. You do not need both a dessert fork and spoon - use whatever the dessert course requires. A champagne glass can be added if needed, and it sits to the top right of the water glass. A soup spoon only rests on the table if soup is served.
Single-Side Buffet
360 Buffet
Mary’s Notes: Buffet styling is somewhat of an art. The location of your buffet (dining table, kitchen island, etc.) will determine what you can and cannot do as far as layout is concerned. Sometimes space is tight, and you might need to combine dishes onto one platter, and other times you need to spread things out to fill a space. I like to add levels to my buffet setup for additional visual interest, but I’m careful not to overdo the styling to avoid hotel conference vibes. Think about how your guests would logically move through a buffet - function over form is best! The last thing you want is to forget the serving pieces and other essentials because you were too focused on the centerpiece. Be mindful about the temperature of your dishes (aka the dreaded chafing dish) and make sure that any hot dishes do not damage the tabletop surface. If nothing else, buffets offer a wonderful way for you to display all the silver trays and serving platters you were gifted or inherited. Bring out the doilies…JK!
