With such a hectic everyday routine, it gets quite difficult for all the family members to gather around a dining table and have dinner as a single unit, since most of us are so stuck up in lives that TV dinners and restaurant feasts have become a regular habit for us. We get very few days every year where the whole family dines together at home most of which are either the weekends or some public holidays, so it’s quite essential that satisfactory arrangements be made at the dining table. Here are some organizational steps and tips to guide you to arrange table for family dinner for perfect dining ideas:
1. Decide your courses: You can have as many courses as you wish to have on a formal family dinner, and once you’ve decided your menu, only then can you work out your dishes and cutlery, their order, and their placements. For example, you can start with an appetizer, move on to the main course, move on to salad, and end with desserts and beverages. Once you have your plan noted down, it will be much easier to decide the category and amount of dishes and utensils. You might also want to prepare and set cloth napkins in advance, unless you wish to use tissue papers.
2. Select and set your dishes and utensils: Once you have placed plates and bowls coupled with spoons, forks, and knives in front of every chair, leave the space in the middle of your dining table for the courses. The bowl, tray, or plate in which you’ll bring your courses respectively will stay there until the next course is ready to arrive. Be sure you divide every course in two or more utensils so that it becomes easier for everyone to enjoy without encountering any delays.
3. Glasses: For drinks and water, you should have regular glasses for every person sitting at the table. However, when it’s time for beverages such as wine, champagne, or beer, you should have wineglasses as they look the best with alcoholic drinks. If some people choose to opt for hot beverages such as coffee or tea instead of chilled, alcoholic ones, you should serve them in plain cups with wide bases which look the most decent for a formal family gathering. You’ll be delighted by how much your family likes your choice of cups and glasses!
4. Dessert: People have different ways of consuming the same dessert. Some like them in bowls while other prefer to stick with small plates. Instead of asking each person about their preference, place both in front of every filled seat and give them the liberty to choose for themselves without feeling awkward. However, be sure to give them a fork and a spoon as well!
This is how you can arrange table for family dinner and gathering. The outline of arrangements is going to stay the same in every case. However, you do have the liberty to throw in treat at every step and make your dinner even more awesome!