Table Manners Dining The Line to the Table Station Four Hosting & Seating Arrangements Techs Young Professionals & Upcoming Graduates

1. In a commercial dining room, the event host addresses the commercial host and says, “Hello, table please,” or “My name is" followed by his title and last name, or first and last name, and adds, "I have a reservation" (no numbers, please.) A list can be checked to confirm this. The commercial host may then say, "This way please."

2. When a table is not ready he or she could say, "It'll be just a few minutes." When the party is recalled, the commercial host is to look for and lead the ranking or senior woman to the table by saying, "This way please." The event host follows this woman who will sit on his right. Where there is no commercial host the event host or escort can lead the line to the table.

3. This person who leads the line to the table can direct seating assignments. At a table for eight or more, place cards are to be used to tell people where to stop.

As a rule, when place cards are used, the host is to lead the line to the table with the ranking woman who will sit on his right. He is to be followed by the other women and men in pairs (in close to precedence order.)

4. The hostess enters last with the ranking male guest. Note: the place cards for the host and hostess are to be removed prior to the time people come to the table.

5. When place cards have been omitted, a hostess is to stand at the door to the dining room to direct people to their places. She can direct people to, "Sit anywhere." This direction is to be understood to mean, except at the head or foot of the table, husbands are to be seated opposite and across from their wives, and everybody is to be distributed into mixed pairs. The hostess enters last with the ranking male guest who will sit on her right.

6. At an official meal, the hostess is to lead the line to the table accompanied by a male who will sit on her right: the ranking male guest or the guest of honor when rights of protocol have been waived. She is to be followed by the host and his dinner partner. Others follow in precedence order.

7. At an official function, each man is to precede the woman he is with unless she is the official. At a non-official social function, each woman is to precede the man she is with regardless of rank.