How Many Forks, Knives and Spoons Per Guest to Rent

Flatware is cheap per piece and miserable to run short on. Nobody can eat salad with a dessert spoon, and a caterer who finds only 80 knives for 100 guests will start washing in the middle of service. Here is how to count it up.

Count by menu, not by guest alone

The number of pieces depends on the number of courses and how guests get their food.

Counts per guest

Counts for common guest lists

For a plated three-course dinner at 4 to 5 pieces per guest, with 10 percent extra:

• 50 guests: 200 to 250 pieces, plus 20 to 25 spares
• 100 guests: 400 to 500 pieces, plus 40 to 50 spares
• 150 guests: 600 to 750 pieces, plus 60 to 75 spares

For a buffet at 2 to 3 pieces per guest:

• 50 guests: 100 to 150 pieces
• 100 guests: 200 to 300 pieces
• 150 guests: 300 to 450 pieces

Don't forget these

• Teaspoons. One per guest if you serve coffee or tea, plus a few for serving sugar. See coffee and tea service.
• Steak knives. If the entree is a steak, a regular dinner knife may not be enough. Ask your caterer.
• Serving utensils. Buffet lines need a spoon, tongs or fork for each dish. Plan 1 to 2 per dish.
• Cake knife and server. One set for the cake table.
• Cocktail forks. Smaller forks for hors d'oeuvres or dessert stations.
• Children's flatware. Smaller sizes are available at some rental companies. See kids' tableware.

Choosing a style

Flatware comes in silver, gold, matte black and rose gold finishes. The gold finish has become a popular wedding choice; the gold flatware trend explains how to use it without clashing. Pattern matters less than weight: heavier flatware feels better in the hand and photographs well. Ask the rental company whether the style comes in every piece you need, as some finishes do not include a dessert fork.

Who washes what?

Ask your caterer or banquet hall whether they have flatware in-house. Many do, and renting it would be a waste. If you do rent, find out if the pieces arrive pre-washed, whether they go back rinsed or unrinsed, and how missing pieces are charged. Flatware vanishes into trash bags more than any other rental, so tell your catering staff to check the bins before they leave. See glass rack logistics for return tips that apply to flatware too.

A Chicago note on venues

Venues across Chicago vary widely: a hotel ballroom provides everything, a gallery or loft provides nothing, and a forest preserve shelter or park pavilion may not allow certain items or events at all, so check the facility rules. Your caterer should be the last stop on your count. Send them your rental list and ask what they will bring.

Get your flatware counted with the rest

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