When it's just my family, which is the three of us now that DS is serving in the Army, the three of us sit at one end of the table together. I slide the centerpiece down the table and just out of the serving area, so that we can still enjoy it. Our table is 9 1/2 ft long, so there's plenty of room down there ;^D

With 2-3 friends over for dinner, I sit at one end, DH at the other and we use the table and the buffet behind DH's chair to park food dishes. I keep the centerpiece on the table in the middle, as I prefer low ones then.

When we have four or more guests, I set the table completely using a long, low centerpiece in the middle. After we say grace, everyone picks up their plate and heads to the kitchen where I have the food set up, buffet style. I keep, s&p shakers on the table at both ends, as well as my wine and water decanters.
Lynn

Lynn,

Thanks for sharing with me.
Believe it or not, that sounds like exactly what I do.

When I have more than will fit at my big table (over 8), I leave the centerpiece, put the dishes/etc. on a side buffet, and the food around the table.
Everyone goes through buffet style.

Desserts (and dessert dishes) are placed on one end of the kitchen island and glasses/drinks/ice on the other.

Between us, we have a huge family, so "company" usually starts at 9 and wanders up to about 35. I love that they always like to come and visit!!
I usually have a longish, not too tall centerpiece on the main table. It stays and I have S&P, sugar/sweet and lo and butter at each end of the table. The food is on a long counter top that runs from the edge of the DR through the kitchen. Drinks are at the end to pick up on the way to the tables. Desserts and servingware are on the servers in the DR. I also have another table set up on the other side of the kitchen, with a lazy susan that holds a small centerpiece of some sort, plus the condiments and butter. The two tables are about 6' apart, so the conversations run back and forth with ease.

If it just the 2 of us, I leave it. If we have 12 for dinner, the centerpiece is low, so it stays. Still room for the food..and I am finding it is easier for me to serve from the island in the kitchen where is can keep things warm. Less walking back and forth too! :)

It's just hubby and me so we leave a centerpiece on the table and we sit towards one end. We also have a long table, so no need to move it. If the kids come over, I do what lynn does and just move the centerpiece to one end of the table if it is tall. If I have a low centerpiece, I'll just leave it in the middle.

Our dining area is just on the other side of a snack bar that separates the kitchen from the dining/livingroom so I normally set up the dishes on the snack bar and we serve ourselves buffet style directly from the stove and counters.