A miniature-sized Christmas tree enhances this elegantly decorated table.
Kaili McDonnough, Staff Reporter
TIS THE time of year for opening up your home to friends and loved ones. No matter how well you may have planned your menus, an added complement to any meal is the presentation. Festive table settings can light up an otherwise dull room leaving your guests to marvel with delight at more than just the food.
For those of you who have been graced with hand-me-downs, it is time to polish up the silverware
and give the napkins and tablecloths a wash or
dry-clean depending on the delicacy of the material as they will come in handy over the next few weeks.
Learning to set a festive table is "as easy as 1-2-3" according to Ann Marie Wyss, luxe Event Co-ordinator and owner of renowned Kingston flower shop Every Blooming Thing. Ann Marie recommends keeping the table setting as "simple as possible" and using materials that are common and basic.
Adding a touch of spice to decor is what Ms. Wyss does for a living, so it was no problem when Lifestyle contacted her about setting a display table with a festive theme. Here is her recommendation for an easy Christmas table setting for four:
1. A basic red tablecloth to cover the table.
2. A piece of red chiffon fabric, slightly shorter in length than the tablecloth to give an iridescent shine and contrast over the tablecloth.
3. A dramatic centrepiece (which you can make yourself with a candle, a hurricane lamp shade and some decorative leaves).
4. Four plate chargers (These items are more decorative than functional as they hold the dinner plates making the presentation more eye-catching).
5. Four matching dinner plates.
6. Four matching side plates.
7. Eight forks (on the left of each plate, handle towards the edge of the table, and prongs up. Start with the first course/ salad fork, followed by the
second course/meat fork).
8. Eight knives (on the right of the plate, and nearest to it, place the steel meat knife. Next to it, place the silver fish knife for the second course. For the first course, place that knife putting the edge of each toward the plate).
9. Four soup spoons (to be placed on the outside of the knives).
10. Four butter knives (to be placed strategically to the right hand side of the side plates).
11. Four napkins (green to contrast the red tablecloth) placed in napkins rings or bound with a piece of ribbon, then placed in the centre of the plates (Mrs. Wyss ties a nutmeg into the ribbon for an
additional effect).
12. Four matching water goblets (the water goblet is at the top and to the right of the knives).
13. Four matching wine glasses (to be positioned next to the goblets).
14. Four matching champagne flutes (to be
positioned next to the goblets and the wine glasses).
15. Four dessert forks (positioned above the plates with the prongs of the fork facing the knives).
16. Four dessert spoons (with the scoop in the direction of the forks).
- Some information provided
by http://www.bartleby.com
