You're right. Fork on left, knife on right (facing plate) spoon next to the knife.

I'm with you, and the napkin goes to the left of the fork. Maybe only forks are required? That's the only way I could understand what they were told.

An easy way to remember which utensil to use in a formal setting is that you 'eat your way IN' -- from the outside towards the plate. For instance, the soup spoon is to the right of the place spoon and the salad fork is to the left of the place fork. You can also see an individual butter knife placed horizontally across the butter plate (upper left of the charger or dinner plate), and a dessert spoon (if it's on the table before the entree) placed horizontally above the plate.

Where did she say to place the finger bowls? LOL

Here's what Emily Post says

Here is a link that might be useful: Emily Post table settings

For a large seating like this, they may be wrapping the utensils(plastic?) in the napkins, placing the wrapped "bundle' on the side of the plate.
Since most people are right-handed, i would say to place on the right.

No they are not wrapping the silverware in napkins and they are using the 3 pieces, so I don't know what the deal is, maybe she just doesn't know better? I have no idea what the girls will do as I know they don't want to make anyone upset. However, if it were me I would set it properly. I always do here when we have family dinners. We may have buffet style but the silverware is always in place on the table. Ha, ha finger bowls!

Sue

I was taught to set my table as you said....Stacy

Oh, I forgot the silverware in not plastic, it is stainless steel. Also the men of the church are fixing the meal. Who knows what they will serve :)

Sue

How you told them to do it is correct. I can't imagine people not knowing this! The salad fork goes next to the dinner fork, and is placed on the outside if it s to be used first. My mother told me that if you did not have separate dessert forks but planned on serving dessert with no salad offered, it was placed on the inside of the dinner fork - placed in the order of use.

I don't know how accurate this is. I have a sterling set with the works - more pieces than I will ever use, including shrimp forks for shrimp salad used twice. And individual pickle forks. Never used. People used to go to a very big effort in setting a formal table *LOL*

Well, I talked with my girls and they set the table like the lady wanted, GRRRR. I wonder how many there will notice it isn't set properly? I know I will, not that it matters, but I would think it should be done right.

Sue

I remember an ad for some dish detergent or other that used to be on TV years ago. It helped me remember how to set the table correctly when it was my turn when I was a child. "Fork on the left, knife on the right, glassware and china all gleaming bright".

Also, my mother used to say, when you set the table with the dessert spoon set above the dinner plate that the "spoon cups the heart". As she said this she would make a swooping motion with her right hand and cup her left breast - helped me remember that too. LOL!

A long-ago high school home-ec teacher taught us that LEFT and FORK have 4 letters and KNIFE, SPOON, and RIGHT all have 5 letters. Makes it easy to rmember what side to put them on...

Since 3 utensils are to be used, I'd say use the 'Basic Emilt Post' arrangement, fork at left, then knife and spoon at right. But hey, does it really matter? Is that detail so important? To me, the dinner is the main feature: the men are cooking it, and the daughters are arranging the table. Hopefully, someone will serve so that it won't be a stand-in-line, serve yourself buffet. Enjoy! Any meal that you don't have to cook or wash the dishes is a plus! Let's hope the male chefs come through.