A Brief History of White House State Dinners

Hostess
Though much of the protocol guiding the structure of a typical state dinner is handled by officers in the state department, many of the critical details — guest lists, menus, flowers, table settings, etc. — are handled by the First Lady and her staff. In this photo, Laura Bush poses in the State Dining Room prior to a dinner in honor of the Japanese Prime Minister.

• Harvest Season in the White House Garden