Good Old Fashioned Place Settings

I just read The Kitchn post on place settings for dinner parties and found it fascinating!  I've always been a fan of "assigned seats" and really try to put down name cards on each place setting when we host dinner parties (especially if not everyone knows each other).  I think it just takes away that awkward moment of "you sitting here? no, you want to sit here? oh, how about you sit over here and I'll scoot over...." you get the point. 

Taking away that one awkward moment seems to help people settle comfortably into the meal - at least, that's what I have convinced myself.  Sometimes, I even make up nicknames on the name cards and our guests need to figure out where their seat is.  It automatically starts a conversation and evokes laughter every time!

Some wise, timeless advice from Emily Post:

It is usually a mistake to invite great talkers together. Brilliant men and women who love to talk want hearers, not rivals. Very silent people should be sandwiched between good talkers, or at least voluble talkers. Silly people should never be put anywhere near learned ones, nor the dull near the clever, unless the dull one is a young and pretty woman with a talent for listening, and the clever, a man with an admiration for beauty, and a love for talking. (my favorite line!)

Most people think two brilliant people should be put together. Often they should, but with discretion. If both are voluble or nervous or “temperamental,” you may create a situation like putting two operatic sopranos in the same part and expecting them to sing together.

Read the entire short post at The Kitchn.