Charger plates explained: do you need them?
A charger is the large plate that sits under the dinner plate. Nothing is eaten from it. It frames the setting, fills the table before the food arrives, and is the quickest way to make a simple plate look dressed.
Where it sits and when it goes
The charger goes down first, centered at each seat, with the dinner plate on top and the napkin on the plate or beside it. In most modern service it stays through the main course and is cleared with the dinner plate before dessert. For the rest of the setting, see how to set a place setting.
Do you need one?
For a seated dinner where the table is set before guests arrive, a charger earns its place: the table looks finished an hour before the food does. For a buffet, a cocktail party or a passed meal, skip it; guests carry their own plates and the charger would only sit empty.
A charger also lets a plain plate do more. A white dinner plate on a colored or textured charger reads as a deliberate setting, which is often cheaper than renting a patterned plate.
The chargers we rent
Each is priced per piece, per event.
| Charger | Price |
|---|---|
| Woven Charger | $2.00 |
| Signature Collection Charger | $3.00 |
| Crystal Moss Charger | $4.00 |
| Walnut Charger | $4.00 |
| Ribbon Charger | $4.50 |
| Sage Pearl Charger | $5.00 |
Counting chargers
One per seated guest, and one or two spares. For a table of 40, forty Crystal Moss Chargers at $4 is $160, under the Crystal Moss Dinner Plate or a plain white plate. The Ribbon Charger is $4.50. Send us your list.
