Black Tie Dinner Hire: Furniture, Linen and Glassware Guide

A black tie dinner requires a specific set of furniture and tableware. Get the quantities right and the room looks the part; get them wrong and the event suffers for it.

Round Tables

Round tables are the standard choice for formal dinners. They allow guests across the table to talk without obstruction and photograph well under venue lighting. Expo Hire stocks 5ft and 6ft round tables, which seat 8 and 10 guests respectively.

For 100 guests, plan on 10 tables of 10 using 6ft rounds, or 13 tables of 8 using 5ft rounds. The larger table gives more room for full place settings when multiple glasses are involved.

Chairs

Chiavari chairs are the most requested chair for black tie events. They are slim, stack well for venue changeovers, and look formal in photographs. Gold or silver resin chiavari chairs are the most common finish for evening dinners.

Banqueting chairs are a practical alternative where numbers are high or storage space at the venue is limited. They offer a solid seat at a lower price point and handle high turnaround well.

Linen

White tablecloths are the norm for black tie. Expo Hire supplies white round linen to fit both 5ft and 6ft tables, available with a floor-length or knee-length drop depending on the venue's preference.

Napkins hire alongside tablecloths. Coloured napkins for branded events are available but book out faster than white, so confirm the colour early in the planning process.

Crockery

A three-course dinner requires a starter plate, main plate, side plate, and dessert plate per person. Where the caterer plates at the table rather than in the kitchen, add serving dishes to the order. Expo Hire hires white crockery in large quantities to cover 100 or more covers.

Order 10 to 15 percent above the seated headcount. This accounts for breakages during service and plates needed during the washing cycle between courses.

Glassware

At minimum, a black tie dinner needs a red wine glass, a white wine glass, and a water glass per person. If the evening opens with champagne, add flutes to the order. Expo Hire glassware covers all standard table formats including wine, water, champagne, and tumblers.

For 100 guests, a working order is 120 red wine glasses, 120 white wine glasses, 100 water glasses, and 110 champagne flutes. Add highballs or rocks glasses if a late bar is planned after dinner.

Pre-dinner Drinks Reception

Most black tie evenings start with a standing reception before guests take their seats. Poseur tables give guests somewhere to rest drinks and take canapes without searching for a surface. For 100 guests in a reception room, 8 to 10 poseur tables works well depending on the layout.

Bar stools alongside poseur tables suit some reception formats, in particular where older guests are present. Check the room size before ordering bar stools, as they take more floor space than the tables alone.

Candelabras

Candelabras are a common centrepiece request for black tie tables. Expo Hire does not stock them, so source these from a prop hire or floristry company. Both the 5ft and 6ft round tables have room for a centrepiece alongside full place settings, though very tall arrangements can block sightlines across the table.

Quantities Guide for 100 Guests

This guide covers a 100-guest black tie dinner with a pre-dinner reception.

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• 10 x 6ft round tables (or 13 x 5ft if the room is narrower)
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• 100 x chiavari chairs or banqueting chairs
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• 10 x white tablecloths (floor-length or knee-length)
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• 100 x napkins
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• 400 plates across starter, main, side and dessert
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• 120 x red wine glasses
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• 120 x white wine glasses
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• 100 x water glasses or tumblers
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• 110 x champagne flutes
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• 8 to 10 x poseur tables
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Minor Damage Waiver

Hired items arrive clean and checked. Expo Hire's minor damage waiver scheme covers accidental breakages and minor damage during the event period for a small addition to the hire cost. This is worth considering for events where items are handled by multiple caterers or volunteers over the course of a long evening.

Delivery and Ordering

Expo Hire delivers across England and Wales. Delivery charges depend on the distance from the depot; the carriage guide sets out rates and minimum order thresholds. For events at hired venues, confirm the venue's delivery window before placing the order, as many restrict access hours on event days.

Collection is arranged the morning after the event in most cases. If the venue charges a room hire extension for late collection, factor this into the budget when comparing hire costs.

See also: gala dinner hire guide and award ceremony furniture hire guide.