Hosting your first formal dinner party can certainly

While a haphazard setting with a basic cutlery set is perfectly fine for informal meals and weekday dinners, a formal placement can really give a special tone to any party and make your guests feel special. For dinner parties and special events, it is essential that your cutlery set is laid out correctly, and not bundled onto plates with a lazy and careless air. Your cutlery placement serves as a guide to your guests and creates the perfect introduction to a beautiful meal.

The starting rule for placing your cutlery on your formal dinner table is to keep everything geometrically centred and lined up. This is beneficial to the comfort of your guests, as no-one should have to lurch to one side to reach their dessert spoon or wine glass, and helps to keep the whole table looking neat and organised. You may have to spend some time adjusting the placement of place mats and individual utensils to get everything exactly right, but the effort is definitely worth it!

For special occasions, you should use your best and largest cutlery set. It is worth investing in a high quality seven or ten piece cutlery set, as the appearance of your table can be greatly improved by using one uniform collection for every course. Make sure that all silverware and stainless steel pieces are polished and shining before you start laying the table.

From the basis of your beautiful dinnerware, you can adjust the formality of your dinner table to suit the event, the food you are serving and your own personal preferences. You can mismatch dishes for a carefree air, or add place cards for an elegant touch. And remember that just because you are creating a formal dinner table, doesn't mean your arrangement has to be dull or boring. You can accentuate your cutlery set with creative table decorations such as elegant candles or fresh bouquets of flowers.