I remember once hearing a story about a woman who burned her beautiful dinner. At this point, most of us would be terribly embarrassed, and start apologizing. But this lady made a joke, ordered pizza, and everyone had a wonderful time, eating pizza with their fingers at her elegantly set table. They commented on what a delightful time they had. Charger plates often come in silver or gold, though they can be any color, and are made from many different types of material, from plastic, to glass or wood.
Charger plates serve no purpose other than adding beauty to a formal table.
A charger plate is not necessary, but it does add style and elegance to the table. Center the charger plate directly in front of each chair, one inch from the edge of the table. Place your dinner plate in the center of the charger. If you're also setting a soup or salad plate, center it on top of the dinner plate. Set red wine glasses just below and to the left of that, and the white wine glasses below and to the left of the red.