A Place Setting Template for Every Occasion

Dinner party hosts, this one’s for you.

Andrea Fowler

Editor

Whether you’re hosting a holiday feast or a formal dinner party, it may not hit you until you sit down to eat that you don’t know whether or not the table is set correctly. Should the fork be on the left or right? Hold on, should there actually be two forks per place setting? Luckily, there is a place setting template for every type of occasion.

Depending on the level of formality, there are typically five different place setting styles: buffet, basic, informal, formal, and super formal (otherwise known as royal).

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Here are our 5 place setting templates for every occasion.

These basics are important to note no matter which style you’re going with:

The fork (or forks) are always to the left of the plate, while the spoon and knife (or spoons and knives) are always on the right.
Drinking glasses are always on the top right.
Napkins should always be at each place setting.

Consider these templates a lesson in the basics for each place setting, but keep in mind, you can alter them according to what you’re serving as well as the size of your guest list. If you’d like a formal place setting template with no dessert spoon, then that’s totally up to you! If the table setting seems like a lot, you can always hire a caterer and bartender to handle the actual meal and make things even easier.

Buffet Place Setting Template (7 pieces)

For the casual meal that you’re setting up in a self-serve “buffet” fashion, all the plates can be stacked on the buffet table with the food for guests to bring back to their dinner table. The place settings of silverware, cups and the napkin will be laid out at everyone’s seat.

Basic Place Setting Template (6 pieces)

A “basic” table setting has six pieces, and is the most bare-bones layout of all the place setting template styles. You can jazz this up a bit by adding an appetizer plate, an elaborate napkin design, and a wine glass.

Informal Place Setting Template (10 pieces)

For a step above casual but a step below fancy, an “informal” place setting is a great middle ground. Usually, this place setting accommodates an appetizer course, so in addition to the dinner plate and fork, there’s also an appetizer plate and fork.

Formal Place Setting Template (14 pieces)

A “formal” place setting is what you might see at most weddings—it’s a more complex setup than your average dinner party but not-so-complex-a-setup that would be donning the tables at a White House dinner.

Super Formal Place Setting Template (17 pieces)

The “royal family table setting” is the most elaborate of all the place setting templates. The most formal of formal place settings has all the bells and whistles, rounding out to 17 pieces total. This place setting accommodates a soup and salad appetizer, dinner and dessert courses, multiple wine options, and tea.

Find more party hosting tips and practical advice on The Bash.