Dining Etiquette A Centerpiece Creative Correct Table Setting and Seating Arrangemetns

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com

A centerpiece is to be used to reflect the theme of the meal. It can be used to call attention to an occasion. It may be used to show a touch of personal care. It could be used to add atmosphere to an event, or to highlight a signature: something for which you wish to be known. It is to hint at what a guest can expect. It is can coordinate with the rest of the room. The colors in the centerpiece may be repeated in the napkins. Informally, the main color for the centerpiece might be repeated in the place card and menu card. A centerpiece can consist of fruits and/or vegetables. These may be accented with fern leaves or lilies, with gardenias or baby's breath, and/or with nuts. It could contain an ornament, taken from a larger collection in the house. It might contain shells, from a shell collection, figurines, from a porcelain collection, or stuffed animals, from a stuffed animal collection. The ornament is to be large enough to be viewed as part of the table setting, and not as a party favor. The centerpiece can be a small statue of a Chinese man carrying water buckets, set with China mums, or among silk flowers. Look for a Chinese meal. It may consist of cola bottles placed against 45 RPM records, sprinkled with strips of party ribbon and confetti. Look for a reunion or anniversary. A Labor Day Dinner centerpiece could consist of a large rustic vase stuffed with rolled up paper bags topped with folded plastic bag roses surrounding a hammer, a saw, and a wrench. A repertoire of centerpieces is to be developed.

Rules are to be remembered, and occasionally broken. It can be something placed on a table because it was the right thing to do.

A centerpiece may be the next course creatively decorated, or placed in an unusual serving dish. This is useful to do when the dining table is a small table for two. Each centerpiece is to be placed center a table, on formal tables and on table large enough to have it placed there. A centerpiece can be placed in an S shape lain down the center of the table. It may be placed on the outer edge of a booth table. It could be placed on the inner edge of tables placed against a wall.

In a commercial dining room, the centerpiece might be used to keep the pepper and salt holders, the cream and sugar holders, and sometimes the condiment holders from looking so conspicuous. Each centerpiece is to be placed to match centerpieces at like tables.

Each centerpiece at table is to be no higher than twelve inches, or below eye level (except for an accent piece.) The centerpiece for a buffet table may be as high as the ceiling. Each centerpiece is to be placed on the table, and is to stay on the table throughout the meal.