When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Mary Hollis Huddleston Setting a perfectly laid table is an essential part of hosting.

If you had to name the No. 1 rule most people stress about when it comes to fine dining etiquette, it's not about keeping elbows off the table (which is apparently safe these days). It's how to use ...

Dinner parties with family and friends are a lot of fun. Although it is the scrumptious food everyone looks forward to, the way it is served helps set the tone for the evening. Formal table settings ...

Table settings will vary depending on the type of event and the food being served. Set up silverware and glassware so guests can work from the outside in and top to bottom. A floral centerpiece is a ...

Have you ever wondered how to set a table? The holidays are here, and with it, dinner parties as well as formal family meals that finally put grandma’s silver to use. Laying them out, however, can be ...

The intricacies of table settings have gone the way of butlers and parasol flirtations, calling cards and dressing for dinner. But that may be changing. After all, Downton Abbey was wildly popular for ...

A comfortable table setting, especially a formal one with a variety of glassware and flatware, should allow about 2 feet of space between the center of one plate and the center of the next. The formal ...

The biggest eating holiday of the year is upon us. You’ve brainstormed the menu, shopped for sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, and thawed the turkey. (You have thawed the turkey, right?) With all ...

Mackenzie Schmidt is the Home and Travel Editor for PEOPLE. She's worked at PEOPLE for over five years as a writer and editor on the Lifestyle team. Real talk: You eat all your meals on the couch.

Setting a perfectly laid table is an essential part of hosting. Yes, finding the most stylish napkins and creating a swoon-worthy centerpiece may be the most fun parts of setting up the tablescape, ...

Plopping down on the couch to watch "Seinfeld" reruns may be your usual dinner routine, but the holidays call for a little extra pizzazz -- including a beautifully set formal table. "For a festive ...