Proper Banquet Settings

The setup for a banquet varies according to the reason for the banquet. A wedding banquet may have a different table layout than a banquet with several speakers, where all guests need to see the front of the room. The shape and size of the facility, in addition to the amount of people expected to attend the event, dictates the setup for the tables and chairs. In addition to table placement, you need to consider the table settings. A luncheon banquet usually needs a less formal table setting than an evening awards banquet, which tends to be more formal. Does this Spark an idea?

Table Layout

Each event needs a different type of table setup. A wedding reception generally consists of several round tables with one long head table in the front of the room. Set the rows off-center from each other to avoid guests pushing chairs into other guests, and to place the most amount of tables in the room. Classic banquet table placements, for events other than weddings, usually have three long rows of rectangular tables. Conference table style is a square, with all tables pushed together in the middle, and works well for focus groups. The hollow square style is a square of rectangular tables with a hollow middle. This is a variation on the conference table, and allows a speaker to stand in the middle. The U-shaped banquet table is helpful when the room has limited space. The herringbone setup allows you to use rectangular tables at an angle with seats on both sides, so all attendees can see the speaker.

Informal Table Setting

An informal setting is generally used for a luncheon event. Place the luncheon plate 1 inch from the edge of the table, in front of the chair. Place the soup bowl on top of that plate. The knife sits to the right of the plate, then the teaspoon to the right of the knife, and the soup spoon on the far right. The left of the plate is reserved for the fork, with a napkin to the far left. The bread plate sits above the fork and napkin, with the butter knife across the plate, handle at the 2 o'clock position and the blade at the 10 o'clock position. Place the water glass above the knife and the wine glass above the soup spoon.

Formal Dinner

For a formal dinner, the plates, spoons and bread plate with knife are the same as the luncheon. The difference is in the placement and amount of forks and glasses. From the plate outward, place the dessert fork, dinner fork, then salad fork. Place the napkin on the far left, or fold it in an interesting shape and place it above the plate. Some establishments place the napkin in the water goblet. The red wine glass is placed above the teaspoon, with the water goblet to its left and the white wine glass to its right.

Things to Consider

Never try to squeeze so many people into a table that the guests' elbows touch when they are seated. A 48-inch round table seats no more than six guests comfortably. A 54-inch table seats no more than eight. Put enough room between the tables so guests can push their chairs back without interfering with the guests seated behind them.