Military Formal 101: Dining Etiquette

When it comes to dining, we all have probably broken many of the rules of etiquette. Knowing the basics of proper dining etiquette for attending a military formal will help to ease the the pressures of the evening.

• The less dining noise the better so try not to clink glasses and silverware.

• When drinking from a glass, drink from the same place for the rest of the evening to avoid the lip ring left behind by lipstick and natural oils and place the glass back in the same spot on the table.

• Keep the rim of your plate as clean as possible out of respect to the serving staff who will have to grab the plate by the rim when removing it.

• Napkins should be placed on the lap with the opening facing out. Dab stains on the inside of the napkin so that it can be hidden again.