page_title: State banquet
section_title: Introduction
hierarchical_section_title: State banquet / By country / United States / Introduction
caption_attribution_description: English: The tent on the South Lawn of the White House where President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a State Dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Mrs Gursharan Kaur, Nov., 24, 2009.
context_page_description: A state banquet is an official banquet hosted by the head of state in his or her official residence for another head of state, or sometimes head of government, and other guests. Usually as part of a state visit or diplomatic conference, it is held to celebrate diplomatic ties between the host and guest countries. Depending on time of the day, it may be referred to as a state dinner or state lunch. The size varies, but the numbers of diners may run into the hundreds.
  In the Western world, state banquets protocol traditionally prescribe formal wear white tie or morning dress events that comprise military honor guards, a four or five course meal, musical entertainment, and ball room dancing. There are normally short speeches and toasts made by the host and principal guest.
context_section_description: In the United States, a state dinner is a formal dinner, more often black tie in recent years rather than white tie, which is held in honor of a foreign head of state, such as a king, queen, president, or any head of government. A state dinner is hosted by the President of the United States and held in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington D.C. Other formal dinners for important people of other nations, such as a prince or princess, are called official dinners, the difference being that the federal government does not pay for them.
  State and official dinners are dictated by strict protocol to ensure that no diplomatic gaffes occur. The Chief of Protocol of the United States, who is an official within the United States Department of State, the White House Chief Usher, who is head of the household staff at the White House, as well as the White House Social Secretary all oversee the planning of state and official dinners from beginning to end. The Graphics and Calligraphy Office located in the East Wing of the White House also bears numerous responsibilities. The White House Chief Calligrapher creates place cards with the names of the guests who are assigned seats around the tables in the State Dining Room. The Chief Calligrapher also designs and writes formal invitations that are mailed to the postal addresses of the guests. State dinners require close coordination between the White House Executive Chef and the White House Executive Pastry Chef who plan and prepare a four or five-course meal, as well as the White House Chief Floral Designer who arranges flowers and decorations on the candle-lit tables.
  As is customary for all incoming state visits by foreign heads of state, a state dinner follows a State Arrival Ceremony which occurs on the South Lawn earlier in the day. In addition, state dinners held in recent years are also given media coverage by the public affairs TV channel, C-SPAN.
caption: A tent located on the South Lawn was the venue for a state dinner held on the evening of 24 November 2009. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dined with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and his wife, Gursharan Kaur.
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