Seating guests at a dinner party - A Well Seasoned Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How to seat guests at a dinner party? ›

The highest-ranked male guest sits to the right of the hostess. The man next in rank sits to the left of the hostess. The wife of the man of highest rank sits to the left of the host. (If the man is unmarried, the woman of highest rank takes this seat.)

At a round or square table, the head seat is wherever the host wants to sit. At a rectangular table, the head seats are at the ends of the table. The most important guests occupy the right-hand seats, with the second most important guests, if any, occupying the left-hand seats.

The host sits at the head of the table with the guest of honor (or most important guest) to his or her right. The second most important guest sits to the left of the host. In a formal lunch or dinner setting, name cards are provided for all guests and it is never appropriate to switch assigned seats.

Having proper visitor seating is essential for any business that interacts with customers, clients and other visitors. It conveys professionalism, respect and courtesy to guests—something that all visitors will appreciate.

The soup spoon should never be put into the mouth, and soup should be sipped from the side of the spoon, not the end. Food should always be chewed with the mouth closed. Talking with food in one's mouth is seen as very rude. Licking one's fingers and eating slowly can also be considered impolite.

With so many table manners to keep track, keep these basic, but oh-so-important, table manners in mind as you eat: Chew with your mouth closed. Keep your smartphone off the table and set to silent or vibrate. Wait to check calls and texts until you are finished with the meal and away from the table.

Being Seated

Men precede women to the table. Remain standing until the host or hostess has been seated.

Arranging seating in a circular formation is like creating a campfire setting – it's intimate, inclusive, and perfect for sharing stories and laughs. It naturally encourages eye contact and makes everyone feel part of the group. Sometimes, smaller is better.

A good rule of thumb: If it's a party with a guest of honor, such as a shower or birthday, stay until after cake is served. For larger scale, less personal events—think co*cktail party, New Year's Eve blowout or other big bash—it's acceptable to make an appearance, then jet after an hour.

Dinner parties typically last three hours; however, they can last only two hours if you'd prefer.

How do you seat everyone at a house party? ›

A good idea is to visualize the room divided into quadrants and place an equal number of seats in each of the four areas. If you intend to play certain games at specific tables, you can place chairs equal to the number of players you anticipate, helping your guests feel welcome to play.

Four 8-foot tables combine to make seating for 20-22 people (depending on if you add a seat where the tables join along the sides). This arrangement of tables may also be conducive for a large family meal, a conference or meeting, or to maximize space for seating up to 22.

Chairs should never be set directly under the table. Set chairs approximately 2″ away from the table to allow maximum seating. Always allow a minimum of 24″ for an aisle between chairs when setting several tables in an area. Setting tables approximately 54″ – 60″ from each other will allow aisle space.