Don’t Be Tardy for the Party
Etiquette related to arriving to a party can sometimes be tricky. Is it ever okay to show up late for a party? What about showing up early?
Here are a few general guidelines for planning your arrival so you keep yourself in the host’s good graces ensuring yourself an invite to their next soiree.
If there’s a meal involved, show up on time! If you’re invited to a dinner party, or even something like Thanksgiving dinner, it’s always a good idea to arrive when the host specifies. For a host, timing their cooking schedule to coincide with guests’ arrival is a challenge. And nothing is worse than making a group of hungry people, including your kind host, wait for you. It’s rude and unnecessary.
Take queues from the invitation. Sometimes the host is very clear with the time on their invite (maybe they’ve learned from past experience) and will include something like “6 o’clock sharp.” Other times the host leaves it more loose and will say something like “6-ish” or “Around 6pm.” That gives you a little more leeway with arriving later.
Never arrive early. Often hosts are still preparing for the party – moving chairs, cooking dinner, freshening up – right up until the first guests arrive. Arriving early doesn’t really help anyone because the host needs to drop what they’re doing to entertain you and chances are there aren’t any other guests there yet for you to socialize with.
When in doubt, remember the golden rule –- treat others how you would like to be treated. If you’re going to be really late, be courteous and call your host to let them know, especially if it’s a small gathering and they are waiting for you to eat, open presents, etc.
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope