Strawberry-Blue: History of the Dinner Table: Who Would You Invite?

I have such a passion for beautiful photo's, especially ones that tell a story or mean something to you at whatever stage you are in your life. Recently I have an obsession with dinner table's - beautiful, long thick wooden tables like theses.

But a perfect dinner table also needs the following

Plates, flowers and cutlery... or personally I prefer something a little more..

Colourful :) I just loves theses Plates!

There is nothing more inviting than a beautiful table, makes you feel welcome. You should also appreciate how much time someone has put into presenting it as much as the food of course.

Back in the VVictorian times dinner parties were all about status. The hostess would invite people of upper class society. Typically she would invite a guest of Honor a Lord of some sort and then well-to-do gentleman. She would also invite people who had musical talent or entertaining skills.

The DinnerThe Victorian hostess had a primary goal in mind when she held a dinner party, and that purpose was to flaunt her status. She aimed to impress her guests with elaborate dishes. The food was served in two possible ways: a la Francaise(meaning that the course was placed in front of the hostess, carved, and passed around) and a la Russe (meaning that the already cut courses where brought to the table). The former way was popular in early part of the Victorian Era and was replaced by the latter way .The guests examined their menus, always written in French while they awaited the first part of the three course meal. They were not expected to eat everything offered, and could pick and choose which foods they wanted as they sat around the ornate table, which usually had a decorative centerpiece, like flowers or a fruit pyramid (“Dinner at Eight"). Some possible food items included soup, venison, poultry, vegetables, and for dessert, and imported fruits Oysters were also frequently served.

Fast Forward a few hundred years

Now days it all about getting together - although it's not really as big as I would like it in the U.K - we resort to eating our dinner off our lap's in front of the telly - really not my thing! I just love getting together with friends and family (no telly) and sitting round a big table with loads of food, wine and of course laughter like theses picture's.