1. Full drop or half drop
At weddings and formal dinners a full drop to the floor is not optional: it is what hides the metal legs and the folding frame of banquet tables.
A half drop — the cloth hanging 30-40 cm — is for working breakfasts, informal meetings and terrace service.
2. The underlay: quieter tables and a better feel
Always put a felted underlay beneath the main cloth. It dampens the noise of plates and cutlery, stops the linen sliding, and gives the guest that padded, expensive feel under their hands.
3. Getting the drop crease-free on the day
The best setup routine lays the cloths 4 hours before service, so the fibres relax under their own weight and the transport creases fall out.