Table settings will vary depending on the type of event and the food being served. Set up silverware and glassware so guests can work from the outside in and top to bottom.

To further enhance a formal table, add a centerpiece. “Make sure not to block the view of your guests sitting across from each other,” Ashley says. Katie Armour Taylor, the cofounder of Trudie ...

And speaking of Europe, a fork is laid in Paris or Amsterdam with the curve facing up, tines touching the table, whereas it would be set just the opposite way here. On your right, spoons appear ...

(It can also be intimidating if you didn’t grow up around formal dining functions—which is most of us.) Here’s how to make your dining room table as elegant as the meal you’ve prepared.

This table setting is "a step up from basic, adding a few elements for a more polished, relaxed meal," says Musayeva. While it's very similar, there are a few notable differences.

That may involve moving your table a bit or setting up a folding table, like this 8-foot by 3-foot option on Amazon, which can accommodate everyone. Next, select a tablecloth.