One of the best things that come with owning a house is that you can invite guests over anytime you want. As you mature, you tend to favour quiet evening gatherings accompanied by good food, good wine and great company. It is always fun to shop around for dinnerware, glassware and cutlery with guests in mind because you can always choose options for certain dining set themes and occasions.
So let’s get into the zone and do some table setting 101.
The Basics
There are actually different levels of table setting or as a dining set as a whole. What we just know of plates, spoons and forks is actually more complicated than what it seem. When prepping your dining set for guests, you have to gauge if the gathering is casual or formal because, yes it matters.
The basic dining set includes your dinner plate, dinner fork, spoon and knife. At the same time, you must have a drinking glass for your water and wine separately. It seems pretty straightforward but there is more than meets the eye.
The Plates
When doing casual lunch or dinner, a normal-sized plate is acceptable since the dishes and entrees are usually served all together and is most likely buffet style.
It does not need to be segregated when being served so there is no need for different kinds of plates for your guests to use.
However, it matters if your dining set is for a more formal gathering. There must be at least three types of dinnerware which includes a soup bowl, a salad plate and the actual dinner plate. The soup bowl, for obvious reasons on its shape, goes at the very top of the stack since soup is traditionally served first. Then comes the salad plate next as part of the appetizer served prior to the main meal. And the dinner plate as the last for the main entrees and is of course the biggest in circumference.
It is fun to mix and match colours of your plates depending on the theme of the occasion or party. Like getting different hues of the same shade for the three different dinnerware, which you can then match with the placemats to put them on.
You can also mix solid colours with patterns to make the casual setup more thematic. Or you can go for more subdued colours when the gathering is more formal. Click here to see Domayne’s range of dining sets and get more inspiration for the next party.
The Cutlery
If other customs are more lenient with table manners, like eating with your hands (which is always so much fun), traditional dining set includes a variety of cutlery.
The most basic ones of course would be a set of spoon, fork and knife whether they will be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner. However more formal dining setups, the cutlery is more defined and specific to the type of food you are going to cater.
Formal dinners do not necessarily use both the spoon and fork together. The dinner fork is primarily partnered with the dinner knife and the soup on the table setting is mainly for the soup served. There is a separate, smaller fork used for the salad. If there is fish or seafood included in the menu, there is a dedicated cutlery for those too, so as the flavour does not mix with any meat entree.
The smaller, rounded spoon is a teaspoon for entrees as well such as sauces. While the smaller, pointier spoon and fork stationed at the top of the dinnerware are specifically for the desserts.
The Glasses
Casual dinner sets usually just include one glass for water and one for the wine. While it is more straightforward, you can still match it with the ongoing theme of the party but choosing matching patterns and colours for the glassware.
For a more formal occasion, the glassware may seem daunting but it is actually more fun to have your guests experience it from time to time. While there is the typical goblet for the wine, formal dinner set includes a specific flute for champagne and separate glasses for the red and white wine (should you decide to serve both, although is it highly encouraged).
Traditional wine glasses and flutes are just plain by design, but there are now those available in the market with coloured rims such as gold and rose gold.
So have those Save the Dates prepared and start planning your very own dinner party with all these fun setups in mind. Your guests will definitely have a blast!
