How to lay your table fit for a Royal wedding

If you are not lucky enough to have secured an invitation to the wedding of the year on May 19th , why not celebrate with the royal couple and have your own party at home? Here we look at table top etiquette on how to lay a table, fit for Royalty.

The Pieces Required:

Dinner plates should sit in the centre of the place setting. Fine bone china which is delicate, but durable is the is the perfect tableware to give class to this special occasion.

Cutlery should be set starting from the outside and working inwards with each course. Forks are set to the left of the plate and knives to the right, blades facing inwards. Soup spoons should be placed to the right of the knives. Forks and spoons for the dessert should be laid above the plate with the fork prongs facing right and the spoon bowl facing left. The spoon should be placed above the fork. Side plates always are placed to the left of the dinner plate. Glasses should be set above and to the right of the dinner plate with white wine, red wine and water glasses. The red wine glasses are larger and taller, having a larger bowl to allow the aromas and flavours of red wine to emerge. The white wine glasses are smaller as white wine is served chilled and a smaller glass ensures the wine does not warm up too much before it is consumed. Clear plain colourless glass allows appreciation of the appearance of the individual wines served.

Linen:

If you possess a family heirloom such as an antique mahogany dining table then ensure it is highly polished and use individual place mats placed directly onto the table in front of each chair. If your table is not quite so elegant then cover with a fine crisp linen tablecloth placed on top of a table cover or blanket to protect from spillages. Then place your tablemats. If you are really looking to create the perfect royal table, then get out your ruler! Did you know that at Windsor castle spacing between each place and from the table to the chair is accurately measured with a ruler? The perfect space between each place setting is 30cm, with chairs placed exactly 27 inches from the table.

Napkins:

For a formal affair linen table napkins are ideal but good quality cotton comes a close second. For a more casual affair, high quality paper napkins are acceptable (just about!). The napkin should be placed folded to the left of the plate, or if ornately folded then placed on the centre of the dinner plate.

The finishing touches you could argue are the making of the table, which too often gets neglected! The table must be appropriately accessorised with candles, flowers and runners, which personalise the table and add to the overall visual effect.

The final key points to remember are a seating plan, often a contentious issue with family and friend politics, you may find this takes up the most time to sort out! Don’t forget beautifully written calligraphy name places, as well as a printed menu if there is time. Interestingly Meghan Markle supplemented her income whilst she was going through acting auditions by teaching calligraphy and undertaking bespoke work for celebrity weddings, writing invitations, menus and place name cards. Now it’s her turn to enjoy it all! We hope you have a lovely time celebrating this momentous day, no doubt everyone will be impressed with your dinner table, suitably dressed in such a way that even the Royals would approve of!

To shop the Royal wedding collection, shop here.