Dinnerware for a Sit-Down Dinner Party at Home: A Host's Guide

A dinner party at home sounds simple until you count. Twenty guests means 60 plates for three courses, 60 forks, 20 knives and 40 glasses. A typical home kitchen in a Chicago two-flat or a suburban ranch house does not own that much, and a dishwasher cannot cycle fast enough. This guide helps a host work out what to rent and what to skip.

What most homes already own

A typical set holds service for 8 to 12. The odd pieces, such as serving bowls and a gravy boat, fill the gaps. Before you rent anything, count what you have by piece. Then decide whether guests will use the same plate for salad and entree, or switch.

A counting table

These are planning counts; menu and service style change them. See how many plates per guest for more patterns.

Simplify to cut the order

Hosts often reduce the count with a few choices:

• Skip the salad plate by serving salad on the dinner plate or in a bowl.
• Serve dessert on the same plate after clearing, with a small wash between.
• Use one fork for salad and entree if the menu allows.
• Serve family-style, so you need fewer plates and more platters; see family-style serving ware.
• Offer one wine glass instead of two.

These choices keep the table clean and the sink empty.

Space and seating

Home dining rooms rarely seat more than 8 to 10. For 20, you need extra tables, which brings chairs and linens into the plan. Our chair counting guide and tablecloth size chart help you plan. Allow about 24 inches of table edge per seated guest, as in place setting spacing.

Timeline

Washing and pickup

Ask the rental company whether you need to wash dishes. Many ask only that you scrape food and stack plates in the crates. Do not run rental china through your dishwasher unless told it is safe. See do you wash rental dishes. Breakage policies vary, so read the contract and the breakage fees guide.

Delivery to a home

Deliveries to a home mean stairs, narrow doors and street parking. Chicago city blocks have limited curb space, and some buildings need a freight elevator reservation. Tell the company about steps, elevators and parking. Crates are heavy, so have space ready to stage them near the kitchen. Our delivery and packing guide explains what to expect.

Little problems at home

Home kitchens run out of three things: counter space, fridge space and dishwasher capacity. Clear a whole counter for the staged plates, keep the fridge for food rather than crates, and plan to hand wash nothing. A rental crate on a rug can scratch floors, so slide it on a towel. If the dining table cannot fit all guests, borrow or rent a second table and match the cloths so the whole room reads as one table.

Plan the party with a pro

Book a free 15-minute seating call and we will count tables, chairs and dinnerware for your Chicago-area home dinner, or request a quote.