How to Display a Banquet Table

Whether you're celebrating a birthday, graduation, holiday or simply having a family party, chances are that you will have a lot of food. Instead of just simply setting the food dishes onto a banquet table, try to display the food dishes properly on to the table. When you're finished, the presentation will look stunning and your guests will be pleased that you put forth a little extra effort to make the party special. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Place your banquet table where you want it. Make sure the table has enough room on all sides for people to walk around it.

2

Pre-plan where you will be placing the food dishes. Starting from left to right, the food on a banquet table typically appears as follows: dry appetizers (cheese and crackers, vegetables and dip, fruit and a fruit dip), other appetizers (pickles, asparagus, olives and meat tray), sides (pasta, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, etc.), and finally the main course (chicken, beef, turkey, pork, holiday ham, etc.).

3

Place a few books of varying thickness on the table. Place cake platters, upside-down bowls and upside-down baking dishes on the table as well. These will serve to elevate certain dishes. Not everything needs to be lifted on the table--only elevate a few different dishes to make them stand out.

4

Place a large tablecloth over the banquet table and the elevation items.

5

Stack up all of the appetizer or salad plates, and place them at the left end of the table. Stack and place all of your dinner plates next to the salad plates. Roll one fork, knife and spoon in a napkin and place the napkin in a basket (or any dish that fits the silverware). Do this so all of the silverware is rolled in a napkin and placed in the basket. Place the basket next to the dinner plates.

6

Place all of your dry appetizers on the left end of the table. Place their corresponding foods or dips on a small elevation next to each appetizer tray. For example: place your cheese tray down on the table, then place the cracker tray on a book (under the tablecloth) to slightly elevate the crackers above the cheese.

7

Place all of the other appetizers on the table next to the dry appetizers on the middle-left side of the table. For these, you can slightly elevate each one using the different sized books, bowls and baking dishes. For example: place a pickle tray on top of a small book, place an olive tray on top of an upside-down baking dish or pie dish, then place a meat tray on top of an upside-down bowl. This will give the appetizers a staggered and tiered look.

8

Place the side dishes into their own chafting dishes, then place side dishes next to the other appetizers and in middle-right side of the table. Chafting dishes have a small burner beneath the dish that will keep the food continuously hot or warmed.

9

Place the main dish in either a chafting dish or a large platter. The main dish should be at the far right end of the table. If your main dish is chicken, beef or fish in a sauce or gravy it should be placed in a chafting dish. However, if your main dish is a whole chicken, whole turkey, whole fish or a large cut of beef, then place it pre-cut on a large platter. The platter should be elevated using a large cake stand or upside-down baking dish.

10

Add your decorations to the table to finish the look. For Thanksgiving you can add tiny pumpkins and fake autumn leaves to the table. For winter holidays you can place tiny ornaments in vases and place them throughout the table. You can add almost anything that you like to the table to add color and style.