Improper table setting’s missing piece disappoints

Courtney McBay, Editor in Chief
May 12, 2010
Filed under Blog, Opinions

For most people, the art of etiquette is dead.

But for people like me, it has an important place in my heart, which is why I wrote a How To on “Surviving a Formal Meal” on April 26. I wrote the story to provide etiquette tips for prom.

And I specifically focused on the role of the bread and butter plate.

The bread and butter plate is the most important piece to a formal table setting. It is not just to act as a home for the bread and butter; no, it is much more than that.

The bread and butter plate serves as a resting place for all used utensils. If a fork, knife or spoon is used in any way, it is considered soiled and cannot be placed back on the table cloth. So, the proper thing to do is to put the used utensil on the edge of the bread and butter plate.

The bread and butter plate also hides trash, such as empty sugar packets or butter pads. This is essential for keeping a table setting neat and looking nice.

If there is no bread and butter plate, there is nowhere for dirty utensils to rest or trash to hide.

Unfortunately, at the 2010 Lafayette Prom, there were no bread and butter plates at the tables.

Imagine my surprise when I came to prom, the most formal event a high school student attends, only to find an improperly placed table.

I understand that I was probably the only nit-picky person who noticed this tiny detail. But to an etiquette junkie, a missing key piece is a big deal. There was nowhere for my fork to rest, nowhere for my trash to hide and most importantly, there was no home for my bread.

If my How To’s focus on the bread and butter plate confused any prom-goers, I apologize. Hopefully, the next formal event they attend will be properly set and placed.