Conference turris::cooks

    The details of your table setting depend on what you're having.
    Some general rules are:
    
    - Have something for the dishes and flatware to sit on.  This might
    be place mats or it could be a tablecloth.
    
    - Have something as a centerpiece.  I often have a florist fix me
    an arrangement when I'm having company.  Be sure and tell them it's
    a table centerpiece so they don't fix you something two feet tall!
    
    - Dinner plate goes in the middle.  Bread-and-butter plate, if used,
    goes in upper left corner.  Salad plate, if used, goes below
    bread-and-butter plate, immediately to the left of the dinner plate. 
    
    - Fork(s) go to left of plate.  Napkin goes to left of fork(s).  Knife
    goes to right of plate with blade pointing toward plate.   Spoon(s) go
    to right of knife.  If you're using multiple knives, forks, or spoons,
    they are placed in the order in which they will be used so the guest
    can pick them up in order starting at the outside and working in
    toward the plate.  If using individual butter knives, I always place
    them horizontally across the top of the bread-and-butter plates.  
    Don't know if that's correct, but it's the way I've always done
    it.
    
    - Glasses go in the upper right corner.  If both wine and water
    are used, water goblet is to the left of the wine glass. 
    
    Hope this helps!
    
    							Pat

    In general, for the simple case
    
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            fork plate knife spoon glass coffeecup
    
    If you have additional silverware for appetizers or the main portion
    of the meal (appetizer fork, soup spoon, salad fork), put them in
    order of use.  The first one you're going to use should be furthest
    to the outside.  So, a soup spoon would go to the right of the basic
    spoon.  A salad fork would go to the left of the basic fork.
    Blades of knives should face the plate - I think this is for safety
    in case they're sharp.
    
    I'm not sure where bread and salad plates go.  If you put dessert
    plates and silverware on the table before serving the meal, they
    go above the dinner plate (ie, toward the middle of the table) with
    the fork/spoon laid across them.
    
    I think Joy of Cooking has pictures of a place setting including
    everything you could imagine, with at least 3 glasses.
    
    --Louise
    

    Check out "Ms. Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior"!
    
    You can make it very elegant by using linens and a nice centerpiece,
    and put in a dimmer switch so you can control the light level.

    By keeping it simple, you aren't risking embarrassing anyone else
    - what if you do find out the details of how it is supposed to be
    set, then a guest is uncomfortable because they aren't sure what
    piece to use when!  Besides, you'll run out of room for all that
    delicious food you're probably planning to make for them!
    
    Or, save setting the table for that person who always asks if there
    is anything they can do!  Makes them feel useful but keeps them
    out of the kitchen and potentially your good knives out of the
    dishwasher, etc!
    
    When I worked in a white-glove restaurant, coffee cups were never
    put on the table during dinner, only after dinner with dessert.
    The spoon above the plate is the coffee spoon, and it is usually
    turned down to indicate that it isn't supposed to be used yet!
    
    Relax and enjoy!
    
    TW

    Don't know about you, but for me a Sunday Brunch would be my first
    meal of the day, and my first coffee opportunity.  If the cups weren't
    on the table and FULL, I wouldn't be aware of all the good cooking
    set before me!
    
    Heck, set out your big monster mugs, especially if your grandfolks
    are committed coffee schlurpers.
    
    --L

    I don't know if they're still published, but in my youth you could
    get books by Emily Post or Amy Vanderbuilt with every possible
    question like this answered.  (When the King of Spain and Prince
    Charles will both be your dinner guests, who sits to the right of....)