What Are Tables Without Chairs?

Yesterday, I talked about the table and forgot to talk about the chairs, so I am going to double back and cover that. Your chairs. There is every chance that you don’t have enough dining room chairs for all the people that you invite to your party. So, it’s a-ok to use any chairs that you’ve got. I know I keep talking about ‘The Rules’, but you have what you have. If you are concerned about consistency, you might want to try slip covers. Those fabric forms that go over the backing of the chair and the seat might provide the consistency you are looking for if you’ve got enough of your place settings that are all consistent and you want to try and make everything match. Otherwise, chairs are no different than your glassware, silverware or plates. Feel free to mix and match.

Take A Seat

That leads me to seating. Do not leave seating up to chance, even for an informal occasion. It reminds me of the last party that we were at for Miss Barbara’s anniversary. We were there early. It was a time zone mis-understanding. We live in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, and the party was in Central Standard Time Zone. It didn’t say on the invitation if it was eastern, or central… and I was bringing rolls, so we ended up being an hour and a half early. Anyway, it gave me a chance to see how people sat themselves because there weren’t place cards at the tables. When people came in and saw tables of seven or eight seats, each group drifted to separate tables as they came into the room. They didn’t join another group that was already sitting at a table unless they knew them. The “click factor” was working. I felt like I was back in high school! This is something you want to avoid at your party. Now it is going to happen anyway. It can happen during cocktail time, but at dinner, it is time to mix and mingle. That is why you want to try and control the seating and you can do that by using place cards.

Girl/Boy/Girl/Boy

Now, here are ‘The Rules’ . You always go back to the rules, and you probably know this. The hosts are seated at either end of the table. That is pretty common. But did you know that the female guest of honor is seated to the right of the male host, and the male guest of honor is seated to the right of the female host. Then, you seat the rest of your guests, boy/girl/boy/girl/boy/girl, as much as possible, separating couples. Pair guests that have common interests, if you know them. This stimulates conversation. It gives your guests a chance to meet and get to know all the other people who came to your party. That is why you are having a party hopefully.

Place Cards

The place cards give you another opportunity to carry your theme through the party. They don’t have to be elaborate, but they can also be very creative. It can be a small piece of paper printed with their name, placed in an empty glass even or on the plate. Use this as another chance to be creative and to follow either your seasonal theme, or the theme of your party or your color scheme. I know I tell you the rules and then I tell you to break them. It’s about attention to the little details. Think about this stuff ahead of time.

The 5 “Ps”

Remember, ‘Pre-Party Planning Prevents Panic’. You’ve got a month until the biggest home holiday of them all. I know some would argue that the biggest home holiday is Christmas, but it is not as much about food as presents. Thanksgiving is all about the food. So you are trying to set the stage. And that is what this tip series is about. Pay attention to these tips. I know not all of you are cooking or entertaining this year. Pass these tips on to someone you know who is hosting a holiday party. I hope it will be very helpful. Party planning is something that I’ve done as a chef and also being a butler for almost 30 years. I’ve seen my share of holiday meals.

Create A Sensual Atmosphere

These tips are very important. Setting the table is about entertaining. You are setting the stage. If you do it properly and you’ve got weeks, or a month, before the holiday arrives, you can pull a lot of little things together to make a big impression. It is not about having “the right stuff”. It’s about having “your stuff”. If you think about a theme, or the holiday, or the occasion all of these little things will come together for you. Keep in mind how to stimulate the senses. Think about the dinner music ahead of time, so you are not scrambling at the last minute. The textures of your tablecloth or your place mats or napkins, the fragrance and colors of your flowers, the lighting, the candles…all of these things set the atmosphere and tone of your party before any of your guests put a fork full of food in their mouth.

This is the point I am trying to get across here. If you do all these things, and keep these tips in mind while you are preparing for your party, when you get to the meal, everyone is already impressed. The food is the “icing on the cake” as it were. Pre-planning takes the pressure off. You have already created an atmosphere of welcoming and relaxation for your guests. That is what entertaining is all about.

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

Now I know, it sounds boring. This is something everybody has done before. I get that. But, setting the table is a very critical element to entertaining with impact. I was a butler for seven years and setting the table is how you set expectations for your guests.

Lessons Continue To Build On Each Other

If you follow one of my previous tips about sending out invitations, that starts the ball in motion. When they come into your home and they see your kitchen table or your dining room and the table is exquisite, it sets the bar very high. Their expectations are through the roof! Even if you serve an ordinary meal (and if you followed some of my previous tips, your meal won’t be ordinary). And by ordinary, I mean it doesn’t have to be a five course meal, it doesn’t have to be a parade of fancy, restaurant quality dishes that are all created with a laundry list of imported, exotic ingredients. It can be a simple, traditional Thanksgiving meal, or a plain, weeknight supper menu. But the expectations are set for an interesting evening and that is what you are looking for. That is what makes a memorable evening. So, setting the table is very important and it starts with your table.

Size Matters

Now, the number of guests that you invite might fit in your current table. But if it doesn’t, then you need to beg, borrow, steal, or rent tables. This is a general rule of thumb for the size of the table and the capacity for your guests. A four foot round table will comfortably seat five people and squeeze up to eight. Five foot round – six people comfortable, squeeze in ten. Six foot round – eight people, squeeze up to twelve. If it is a four foot rectangle- four to six people. Five foot rectangle- six people. Six foot rectangle – six to eight people. And an eight foot rectangular table will seat eight to ten people. Just in case you have to add more tables and tuck them here and tuck them there for the crowd that you invited that is a basic guide for you.

The Cover Up

Now after the table comes the tablecloth. The classic formal dinner tablecloth is white. You can put a pad underneath it and smooth out the surface if you have added leaves or extensions to your table. If you have a really lacey tablecloth, make sure that there is a white underlay. You can play with the colors a little bit, but know that white on white is formal and it kind of goes down from there to less formal.

A Little More Revealing

If you are not going to use a tablecloth and you want to use place mats you can do that. It doesn’t matter how elegant the placemat is, it is not as formal as a tablecloth. You can also put a runner on the table, which is a narrow length of material that extends the length of the table down the center, where the center piece is and maybe some of your dishes, if you are serving family style. It is a nice way to dress up your table. It lets you show off your table a little bit more, obviously, than a full coverage tablecloth, but it is not going to be as formal.

Getting back to tablecloths for a second, your standard everyday tablecloth hangs about four to six inches off the edge of the table. For a formal meal your tablecloth should extend eight to twelve inches off the edge of the table. And if it is a really formal event up to eighteen inches off the edge of the table.

The Centerpiece

The next thing I want to talk about is centerpieces. Traditionally, centerpieces are flowers. Any kind of flowers will do, but you can coordinate with the season or the occasion. As I said yesterday in terms of going to the supermarket to check out the food and see what is seasonal and on sale there, you can do the same with the florists. You can find out what kind of flowers are in season for your event. You can also match them to your theme or particular colors of your plates, or house, or table or something to that effect. Centerpieces can be absolutely anything. Again, make it match your theme and you can come up with a lot more ideas.

Light One Up

Candles are the last thing I want to talk about today. Candles are appropriate at dinner and only when it is dark. You want to offset your candles so that when you have people sitting across from each other, they are offset so people can have a line of sight. That goes for center pieces too. Keep them low so that people can see each other and talk and not have look over or around the center piece so that they can converse. Your candles need to be either very high or very low. You don’t want to have a candle burning right in your line of sight so that it becomes more of a nuisance than adding to the atmosphere. You also want to light the candles before people are seated. Not only does it give the candle a chance to start burning but to make sure you have a good wick. You don’t want to be on stage with a match trying to light candles in front of everybody. And also protect your table or tablecloths some how or another. Either using a candle saucer under it or there is actually a glass saucer that goes under some candelabras that catches the wax. Wax is not the easiest thing to get out of your fabric.

Hi I’m Marty Richardson from chefmartyrich.com. Welcome back to our daily tip series. I have a few more thoughts about setting the table.

What Are Tables Without Chairs?

Yesterday, I talked about the table and forgot to talk about the chairs, so I am going to double back and cover that. Your chairs. There is every chance that you don’t have enough dining room chairs for all the people that you invite to your party. So, it’s a-ok to use any chairs that you’ve got. I know I keep talking about ‘The Rules’, but you have what you have. If you are concerned about consistency, you might want to try slip covers. Those fabric forms that go over the backing of the chair and the seat might provide the consistency you are looking for if you’ve got enough of your place settings that are all consistent and you want to try and make everything match. Otherwise, chairs are no different than your glassware, silverware or plates. Feel free to mix and match.

Take A Seat

That leads me to seating. Do not leave seating up to chance, even for an informal occasion. It reminds me of the last party that we were at for Miss Barbara’s anniversary. We were there early. It was a time zone mis-understanding. We live in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, and the party was in Central Standard Time Zone. It didn’t say on the invitation if it was eastern, or central… and I was bringing rolls, so we ended up being an hour and a half early. Anyway, it gave me a chance to see how people sat themselves because there weren’t place cards at the tables. When people came in and saw tables of seven or eight seats, each group drifted to separate tables as they came into the room. They didn’t join another group that was already sitting at a table unless they knew them. The “click factor” was working. I felt like I was back in high school! This is something you want to avoid at your party. Now it is going to happen anyway. It can happen during cocktail time, but at dinner, it is time to mix and mingle. That is why you want to try and control the seating and you can do that by using place cards.

Girl/Boy/Girl/Boy

Now, here are ‘The Rules’ . You always go back to the rules, and you probably know this. The hosts are seated at either end of the table. That is pretty common. But did you know that the female guest of honor is seated to the right of the male host, and the male guest of honor is seated to the right of the female host. Then, you seat the rest of your guests, boy/girl/boy/girl/boy/girl, as much as possible, separating couples. Pair guests that have common interests, if you know them. This stimulates conversation. It gives your guests a chance to meet and get to know all the other people who came to your party. That is why you are having a party hopefully.

Place Cards

The place cards give you another opportunity to carry your theme through the party. They don’t have to be elaborate, but they can also be very creative. It can be a small piece of paper printed with their name, placed in an empty glass even or on the plate. Use this as another chance to be creative and to follow either your seasonal theme, or the theme of your party or your color scheme. I know I tell you the rules and then I tell you to break them. It’s about attention to the little details. Think about this stuff ahead of time.

The 5 “Ps”

Remember, ‘Pre-Party Planning Prevents Panic’. You’ve got a month until the biggest home holiday of them all. I know some would argue that the biggest home holiday is Christmas, but it is not as much about food as presents. Thanksgiving is all about the food. So you are trying to set the stage. And that is what this tip series is about. Pay attention to these tips. I know not all of you are cooking or entertaining this year. Pass these tips on to someone you know who is hosting a holiday party. I hope it will be very helpful. Party planning is something that I’ve done as a chef and also being a butler for almost 30 years. I’ve seen my share of holiday meals.

Create A Sensual Atmosphere

These tips are very important. Setting the table is about entertaining. You are setting the stage. If you do it properly and you’ve got weeks, or a month, before the holiday arrives, you can pull a lot of little things together to make a big impression. It is not about having “the right stuff”. It’s about having “your stuff”. If you think about a theme, or the holiday, or the occasion all of these little things will come together for you. Keep in mind how to stimulate the senses. Think about the dinner music ahead of time, so you are not scrambling at the last minute. The textures of your tablecloth or your place mats or napkins, the fragrance and colors of your flowers, the lighting, the candles…all of these things set the atmosphere and tone of your party before any of your guests put a fork full of food in their mouth.

This is the point I am trying to get across here. If you do all these things, and keep these tips in mind while you are preparing for your party, when you get to the meal, everyone is already impressed. The food is the “icing on the cake” as it were. Pre-planning takes the pressure off. You have already created an atmosphere of welcoming and relaxation for your guests. That is what entertaining is all about.

I hope that these tips have helped you and maybe you can help somebody else who is “under the gun” in a month.

Food Tips Are Coming

Tomorrow, I will have a few more tips for you. They are not going to stop! I’ve got another month’s worth. We are getting to the food. I have a whole month’s worth of tips just about the food. So stick around. Thanks for sending in comments. They have been really good and positive and I really enjoy doing this, so I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks.

Hi, I’m Marty Richardson from chefmartyrich.com and welcome back to our daily tip series. Today’s topic is how to set the table.

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

Now I know, it sounds boring. This is something everybody has done before. I get that. But, setting the table is a very critical element to entertaining with impact. I was a butler for seven years and setting the table is how you set expectations for your guests.

Lessons Continue To Build On Each Other

If you follow one of my previous tips about sending out invitations, that starts the ball in motion. When they come into your home and they see your kitchen table or your dining room and the table is exquisite, it sets the bar very high. Their expectations are through the roof! Even if you serve an ordinary meal (and if you followed some of my previous tips, your meal won’t be ordinary). And by ordinary, I mean it doesn’t have to be a five course meal, it doesn’t have to be a parade of fancy, restaurant quality dishes that are all created with a laundry list of imported, exotic ingredients. It can be a simple, traditional Thanksgiving meal, or a plain, weeknight supper menu. But the expectations are set for an interesting evening and that is what you are looking for. That is what makes a memorable evening. So, setting the table is very important and it starts with your table.

Size Matters

Now, the number of guests that you invite might fit in your current table. But if it doesn’t, then you need to beg, borrow, steal, or rent tables. This is a general rule of thumb for the size of the table and the capacity for your guests. A four foot round table will comfortably seat five people and squeeze up to eight. Five foot round – six people comfortable, squeeze in ten. Six foot round – eight people, squeeze up to twelve. If it is a four foot rectangle- four to six people. Five foot rectangle- six people. Six foot rectangle – six to eight people. And an eight foot rectangular table will seat eight to ten people. Just in case you have to add more tables and tuck them here and tuck them there for the crowd that you invited that is a basic guide for you.

The Cover Up

Now after the table comes the tablecloth. The classic formal dinner tablecloth is white. You can put a pad underneath it and smooth out the surface if you have added leaves or extensions to your table. If you have a really lacey tablecloth, make sure that there is a white underlay. You can play with the colors a little bit, but know that white on white is formal and it kind of goes down from there to less formal.

A Little More Revealing

If you are not going to use a tablecloth and you want to use place mats you can do that. It doesn’t matter how elegant the placemat is, it is not as formal as a tablecloth. You can also put a runner on the table, which is a narrow length of material that extends the length of the table down the center, where the center piece is and maybe some of your dishes, if you are serving family style. It is a nice way to dress up your table. It lets you show off your table a little bit more, obviously, than a full coverage tablecloth, but it is not going to be as formal.

Getting back to tablecloths for a second, your standard everyday tablecloth hangs about four to six inches off the edge of the table. For a formal meal your tablecloth should extend eight to twelve inches off the edge of the table. And if it is a really formal event up to eighteen inches off the edge of the table.

The Centerpiece

The next thing I want to talk about is centerpieces. Traditionally, centerpieces are flowers. Any kind of flowers will do, but you can coordinate with the season or the occasion. As I said yesterday in terms of going to the supermarket to check out the food and see what is seasonal and on sale there, you can do the same with the florists. You can find out what kind of flowers are in season for your event. You can also match them to your theme or particular colors of your plates, or house, or table or something to that effect. Centerpieces can be absolutely anything. Again, make it match your theme and you can come up with a lot more ideas.

Light One Up

Candles are the last thing I want to talk about today. Candles are appropriate at dinner and only when it is dark. You want to offset your candles so that when you have people sitting across from each other, they are offset so people can have a line of sight. That goes for center pieces too. Keep them low so that people can see each other and talk and not have look over or around the center piece so that they can converse. Your candles need to be either very high or very low. You don’t want to have a candle burning right in your line of sight so that it becomes more of a nuisance than adding to the atmosphere. You also want to light the candles before people are seated. Not only does it give the candle a chance to start burning but to make sure you have a good wick. You don’t want to be on stage with a match trying to light candles in front of everybody. And also protect your table or tablecloths some how or another. Either using a candle saucer under it or there is actually a glass saucer that goes under some candelabras that catches the wax. Wax is not the easiest thing to get out of your fabric.

There you are. The tips of the day on setting the table, and tomorrow we are going to actually get into place settings. Thanks for watching. Talk to you tomorrow.