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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

When it comes time to serve your family dinner, whether it's Thanksgiving or Tuesday night, do you dream of your table looking like it came out of a magazine? OK, maybe that is not the goal for ...

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 ...

Setting the table for Christmas need not be a chore. Check out these tips for setting either a formal or informal holiday table. Setting a formal table is easier than you may think. Start by adding a ...

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.

Many of us remember our mothers starting a week in advance of Thanksgiving, polishing sterling stemware until it gleamed, setting the table three days in advance with the good china, then cooking ...