Table setting secrets

Serving is the oldest art of decorating a table for a joint dinner or feast. To decorate the table according to generally accepted rules and customs, you should familiarize yourself with them. It is necessary to learn the order of decorating cutlery and serving dishes, as well as take into account the recommendations of experts in choosing jewelry and decor elements for the perfect serving.

Today, few pay due attention to the study of traditions and customs, so not every housewife can talk about table setting, explain what it is. But it is worth getting acquainted not only with the concept itself, but also with the history of the development of serving.

Serving can be represented by several varieties:

• preliminary - is the simplest. With such a serving, it is enough to make a partial arrangement of dishes and appliances that will be required initially for the dishes presented first on the menu. When a new dish is served, the dishes will be replaced in parallel.

During the preliminary serving, it is necessary to use a table knife, a fork, a teaspoon, a pie plate, a wine glass, a wine glass, decoration items for placement in the center, a pepper shaker and a salt shaker, as well as an unprinted cloth napkin.

• Banquet - consists in the simultaneous arrangement of decor, plates and appliances. To create this type of serving, you will need snack utensils, namely:
  • forks and knives;
  • soup spoon;
  • devices for fish;
  • plate for baking;
  • plate for bakery products;
  • butter knife;
  • dessert spoon;
  • pepper box;
  • soup plate;
  • small saucer.

• "Bistro" - the usual arrangement of dishes for an everyday breakfast or lunch in an informal setting. It can be used in those premises where self-service is used. Such serving is used in establishments where personal staff is served. The choice of cutlery, their location depends on the menu, the cost of the dish and even the style of the place. The table should be decorated with a tablecloth, as well as additional napkins.

For a well-designed table at home, in a chic restaurant or cafe you must follow the generally accepted rules of serving. If you set the table correctly, then the holiday will be brighter and more spectacular. A mistake in choosing dishes can ruin the whole holiday. The type of meal affects the choice of plates, glasses, even napkins, as well as other elements.

Used frequently serving for two. This option is ideal for embodying a romantic atmosphere.To decorate the table, you can use a variety of elements (candles, alcohol in the form of champagne or wine, a fruit basket). It is worth giving preference to a tablecloth of snow-white or bright red color.

To set a table for two, it is worth maintaining synchronicity. The dishes should be placed opposite each other, while the distance between the interlocutors should be small so that you can touch at arm's length.

When planning home banquet you should take care of the comfortable location of each guest, and for this it is worth maintaining a certain distance. If you need to accommodate 4 people at the table, then you can use both a square and an oval version. But remember that for a convenient location for one person you need 76 cm, and for an overweight guest - 90 cm. Furniture with standard sizes is ideal for comfortable accommodation of 4 people.

If 6 people are to be seated at a table, then more information needs to be taken into account. You can choose a rectangular or round table.

In order to seat two people on one side of a rectangular table, its width must be 240 cm, since 46 cm must remain free from each edge.

When choosing a round table for 6 people, it should be borne in mind that the radius of the tabletop must be at least 80 cm, then 76 cm can be used per person for serving.

Experts recommend adhering to the following sequence when setting the table at home:

• Decorate the table with a tablecloth.
• Lay out the plates, taking into account the number of people at the table.
• Arrange cutlery.
• The location of glasses, glasses, wine glasses largely depends on what kind of alcoholic drinks will be consumed.
• Design and decorate the table with original napkins.
• Decoration on a specific theme.

To beautifully organize a meal at the table according to etiquette, you need to take into account many nuances and details. To organize a meal at home, you first need to purchase a beautiful set of dishes. All family members should be presented with the same plates and cutlery.

Before serving you need to think about the menu firstbecause each dish requires a certain set of servings. When arranging appliances, it is worth remembering that at least 80 centimeters of free space must be allocated per person. It is this distance that is enough for a convenient location at the table.

All appliances must be clean. It is better to wipe each fork, knife and spoon with a dry towel before putting them on the table to prevent the possibility of stains from residual water.

At home, you can beautifully decorate the table for a joint meal, if you properly serve it. First you need to cover the table with a tablecloth, purchase a beautiful set of dishes and cutlery. For serving a table at home, you can not use all the dishes. It should be selected depending on personal preferences and food needs.

The tablecloth plays a major role in decorating the table.as it sets the tone for the entire event. For a holiday, you should choose an exclusively white tablecloth; for everyday use, you can use the product in yellow or cream. The main thing is that the tablecloth is washed and ironed.

For informal meetings, you can use colored tablecloths in light colors, for thematic meetings - models with prints, for example, for celebrating a child's birthday, a tablecloth with a children's theme is suitable. The table covered with two tablecloths looks original, while they are arranged in such a way that the corners of the lower tablecloth are visible from under the upper one.

When choosing the size of the tablecloth, remember that you need to build on the dimensions of the table on which it will be located. According to the etiquette, the edges of the product should hang from the edge by about 30 centimeters. But there are exceptions. For example, in Italian and French restaurants it is considered normal if the edges of the tablecloth touch the floor. When choosing the material of the product, it is better to give preference to cotton or silk.

35 types of plates are presented for table setting, but usually only 5 or 6 types are used. According to the rules of etiquette, all plates should ideally be from the same set, or at least be made in the same style direction. The choice of the type of plate depends on the dishes that will be served on the table, and their number depends on the number of people who will be present at the dinner.

The main types of plates that are very often used for serving are: soup, flat plate (large and small), for dessert (small and deep), pie plate, herring, mustard plate or creamer, meat dish.

Need choose the right cutlery, as well as correctly position them. To begin with, on the right side of the dishes you need to place a soup spoon, place a fork and a snack knife near it, then a coffee or teaspoon. If all this needs to be placed directly next to the main plate, then it is customary to put a dessert spoon behind the plate. A butter knife is usually found on a patty plate.

The classic choice among glasses is the option for champagne and wine. There are other types of utensils for alcohol, but they should be placed on the table depending on what kind of drink will be presented on the table. It can be glasses for liquor, whiskey, glasses.

When arranging glasses, you should adhere to the following sequence: for red wine, white wine, champagne and containers for stronger alcohol in the order in which they will be served on the table. Do not forget that a glass for water or juice should be located on the left side of the table.

To decorate a solemn feast, serving napkins are an indispensable element. They can be either paper or fabric. Most people prefer napkins from various types of fabric. Linen models of square shape and large size are often used.They can be placed on your knees to protect clothes from possible stains or used as a decor.

In the modern interior of the dining room very often the main element is a round table. Many housewives are faced with the fact that a round tabletop provides less space than a rectangular one. When serving a round table, only the necessary items should be used: a flat and deep plate, a fork for the main course, a knife and a wine glass. At the request of the guest, other elements of dishes can be served. Decorate the center of the table with a bouquet of flowers, a bright and unusual dessert or a bottle of wine, complemented by a red or black napkin.

If a birthday is celebrated in the home circle, then the table should become a bright accent when organizing a holiday. To achieve this goal, you should use unusual desserts, pick up decorations, and also use a beautiful serving of dishes.

If you decide how to set the table, then you should start from the personality of the birthday person. To decorate the table in honor of a children's holiday, it is worth decorating the table beautifully with the help of soft toys or images of famous cartoon characters on cardboard. For children, you can organize just a sweet table.

To decorate the table in honor of the birthday of a young girl, then you should pay attention to fresh flowers on the table, fashionable dishes made of multi-colored glass, fruit vases, attractive desserts.

When serving a festive sweet table, it should be borne in mind that only desserts are presented on the table. You should not use decor, as it will look superfluous against the backdrop of bright desserts. It is worth using plates in several tiers, coasters for muffins or cake pops, pyramids. It is worth using dishes in a single color scheme.

To decorate a table even for one person, according to etiquette, you should use a tablecloth, put napkins made of paper or fabric on it. From kitchen utensils you will need:

• the plate is flat, deep;
• table spoon, dessert, teaspoon;
• fork;
• knife;
• glass for water;
• wine glass.

To arrange dinner, you should follow a certain procedure:

• Cover the table with a tablecloth.
• Place a large flat plate, put a deep one on it.
• On both sides of the plate, cutlery should be placed for the main course, and then for the appetizer.
• The teaspoon should be placed in front of the plate.
• Above the right side of the plate is usually a tea pair or a wine glass.
• Additionally, the table can be decorated not only with fabric napkins, but also with exquisite candles or fresh flowers.

Setting the table for organizing lunch is quite simple, since it has practically no differences compared to the design of the table for dinner.The only difference is that the dining table can only be decorated with napkins or flowers. And also you do not need to use a snow-white tablecloth for the dining table.

If you are going to organize a dinner for guests, then the serving remains the same, but the number of cutlery and plates only increases. An alternative to tablecloths are special coasters designed to protect against hot dishes. Do not use additional decor.

It is very difficult to organize the arrangement of devices at a holiday when there are many guests at the table, it is very difficult on your own. Therefore, you should not pay special attention to the arrangement of cutlery and plates, the main thing is to lay a white tablecloth and decorate the table with napkins. The main task is to create the most comfortable conditions for relaxing at the festive table.

Napkins are an integral attribute of serving. To decorate the table for tea drinking, you can use square or round napkins. Linen options are ideal for decorating a table in honor of the celebration.

There are many interesting ways to fold a fabric napkin. It can be presented in the form of an envelope, a cone or a sail. Unusual animals or delicate flowers look beautiful and stylish.Each option looks elegant and cute, so you can come up with your own version of decorating the napkin.

At the holiday, the table always plays a huge role, because it acts as a stylish accent. To decorate a festive feast, you can use small vases with flowers, special rings for decorating napkins, figurines of porcelain angels, as well as silk or satin ribbons. Ceremonial tablecloths, balls and serpentine are beautifully suited.

For an ordinary dinner or lunch, napkins decorated with rings and fresh flowers are used. This decor is suitable for an ordinary tea party. It should be understood that dishes, cutlery, tablecloths and napkins must be very clean. To beautifully set the table, you can use bright napkins. They will help to give the feast originality and showiness.

It takes a lot of effort to arrange a banquet. To decorate the table in honor of the holiday of Christmas Eve or Easter, appropriate decorative elements should be used. To organize a large banquet, it is worth using decorative elements made in the same color and style. Napkins can be bright colors, but must be sterile. Flowers can be used both live and artificial. The choice is completely individual.

When organizing a wedding feast, the emphasis should be on places for the newlyweds. They should be decorated with symbols on the theme of love. These can be swan figurines, roses, hearts or posters with wishes.For the newlyweds, separate glasses, originally decorated, should be presented. Snow-white dishes with a silver or gold border and, of course, a white tablecloth look beautiful on the wedding table.

To serve a Russian holiday table, you should understand that traditionally a lot of different food should be presented on such a table. To decorate a table in a traditional style, it is enough to choose a few dishes from the national cuisine.

When serving a traditional Russian feast, you should adhere to the following scheme:

• Snacks - there should be a lot of them, because vodka is a traditional drink, and it requires a good snack. Be sure to have pickles and pickled tomatoes on the table. Many people really like mushrooms with onions or sauerkraut with beets. Among cold appetizers, meat options and cuts of salted lard are in demand. Among salads, preference should be given to “herring under a fur coat” or “olivier”.

• Main dishes are served hot. Often a pig or a bird is cooked on the table in the oven. They are usually stuffed with porridge and decorated with apples. Often, cabbage rolls and home-style roasts or fish dishes are served on the festive table.
• Dessert - cheesecakes, pies, gingerbread, as well as pies with filling, baked apples with sugar syrup and fragrant cinnamon are traditional.
• Drinks - traditionally strong vodka is placed on the table, which is often infused with tangerine peels, pine nuts or various herbs. Among non-alcoholic drinks, kvass and fruit drinks made from berry jam are in demand.

Delicious food should have a beautiful and attractive appearance, so that the desire to eat it immediately arises. When choosing dishes from a certain cuisine of the world, you should understand that table decorations in different countries are made in different ways, using a variety of decor elements.

Table setting in France is a unique piece of art. It differs in many ways from traditional serving in Russia. The French are famous gourmets who are well versed in delicious food, and also pay a lot of attention to decorating the table. They highly appreciate high-quality and stylish dishes, tablecloths, as well as decor.

Serving in Japan very different from the European presentation, so for us it is quite complex and multicomponent. To perfectly master the peculiarities of Japanese serving, you need to be well versed in plates, cups, trays, bowls and sticks. The Japanese value convenience and comfort. When serving, they tend to be asymmetric, creating free compositions and taking into account free space. All decorative elements on the table should be located freely.

Next, you can consider an interesting selection of ideas for table setting, depending on the occasion or situation:

• spring. Emphasis should be placed on natural colors and textures. The tablecloth on the table is optional. The table can be decorated with a wicker supply. A sprig of a living tree will allow you to decorate the serving. A white napkin should be placed on a green plate, a cream plate and a transparent dish on top. On the right side of the plates should be a fork and a teaspoon, and at the top right - a glass of wine.

• For a romantic dinner fresh flowers and candles are often used as decor. A red tablecloth will set you up for a romantic wave. For table setting, snow-white dishes are suitable. To begin with, you can put a square plate, and on top - a rounded plate. An ideal addition would be a soft pink cloth napkin folded in the form of an envelope. On the left side is a knife, on the right - a knife and a soup spoon. Above the plates is a glass for water and champagne.

How to properly set the table, see the following video.