Did not know this.

The order of service describes what needs to be done. The rules of service describe who is served first. Most servers will deal with parties with people of different sexes and ages. The rule of thumb is: Start with the guest of honor, if there is one. Then the oldest female. Her order is taken first and she is the first one served if there is no guest of honor. If it is a small party (less than six) then the next person is the second oldest female. All of the females are served in order of their age, ending with the youngest one. The oldest male is served next. Then the men are served, by age. The last person to be served is the host or the person paying the bill. In this day and age, the host is the person who first speaks to the server and begins directing the interaction. Just remember, the host can be a male or female, even in mixed company. If it is a large party, more than six people, or a banquet situation, then the oldest female is the first person served and the next person served is to her immediate left continuing counterclockwise around the table. Also, in a banquet situation, the head table is served first, and the guest of honor is the first person to eat. From the head table, the servers spread out, so those at the rear and back of the space are served last. The other exception to the rule is for booths. If a booth is large enough that two or more people are one side, then the people furthest from the server edge of the table are served first. The server follows the same rules for the inner people—oldest lady to youngest man. Then the outside people—the ones next to the server are next, in the same order of oldest lady to youngest man.