It’s 4:30 pm and you’re making final preparations for your twenty-five guests that you invited to your housewarming/ Christmas dinner at 6 pm. You’re feeling pretty good – not just because you’re showing off your beautiful new home – but more so because you’ve done everything to ensure the perfect event.
You think you’ve got everyone’s dietary preferences, the cocktail area is set up with conversation areas in mind and you have the right person sitting next to each guest at the dinner table. You’ve thought of everything and now you just have a few final touches – the floral arrangements are still in the cooler because you like them nice and fresh, you have a few things in the oven but all scheduled to be finished and set out in time for your first guest, Ms Sonia is just about to make the welcome drink so it can be nicely chilled and the bartenders are counting off and setting out all the glasses. You’ll be good and ready with about 20 minutes to spare so you can get dressed before your guests arrive. Wait, what? There’s a guest at the door? But it’s only 4:45 pm and your invitation said 6 pm? Wait for what? I know she didn’t just take a guest to my housewarming dinner without asking me? Yes, she did!
We tend to place a lot of emphasis on someone being the perfect host, but there’s an unspoken understanding that takes place the moment you accept an invitation to someone’s house for dinner. The host agrees to make you feel awesome and welcome, while you, her guest, agree to be pleasant and appreciative. When both of these things are in sync, great things happen at the perfect dinner. So are you the perfect guest? With loads of shopping carts filling up with dinner items this season, we’ve pulled together a list of do’s and don’t’s to ensure you’re the perfect guest who gets invited to another event.
Be on time – Don’t be that guest who’s so early that you can tell the secret ingredient that your host is putting in her unbaked lasagna. If you can’t help but being super early, extend the courtesy of letting your host know so arrangements can be made to keep you appropriately entertained while you wait. Meanwhile, on the flip side of this rule, being too late toes the line of being inconsiderate. Here’s a little tip…. arriving about 15 minutes late (no later) is acceptable and welcome. Why? Unless your host is a super host who is ready well in advance and spends the last hour killing time (yeah, we know those rare and wonderful breeds exist), most hosts appreciate a little wiggle room to finish table setting, straightening up the living room or changing.
You + 1
If an invitation doesn’t explicitly say it’s for you “and a guest,”then under no circumstances are you to take someone with you or even ask if you can take someone with you. It’s considered rude on so many levels. Plus be considerate of your hosts budget and efforts.
To Read More: Purchase your copy of Volume 9 #5 November-December 2017
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It’s 4:30 pm and you’re making final preparations for your twenty-five guests that you invited to your housewarming/ Christmas dinner at 6 pm. You’re feeling pretty good – not just because you’re showing off your beautiful new home – but more so because you’ve done everything to ensure the perfect event.
You think you’ve got everyone’s dietary preferences, the cocktail area is set up with conversation areas in mind and you have the right person sitting next to each guest at the dinner table. You’ve thought of everything and now you just have a few final touches – the floral arrangements are still in the cooler because you like them nice and fresh, you have a few things in the oven but all scheduled to be finished and set out in time for your first guest, Ms Sonia is just about to make the welcome drink so it can be nicely chilled and the bartenders are counting off and setting out all the glasses. You’ll be good and ready with about 20 minutes to spare so you can get dressed before your guests arrive. Wait, what? There’s a guest at the door? But it’s only 4:45 pm and your invitation said 6 pm? Wait for what? I know she didn’t just take a guest to my housewarming dinner without asking me? Yes, she did!
We tend to place a lot of emphasis on someone being the perfect host, but there’s an unspoken understanding that takes place the moment you accept an invitation to someone’s house for dinner. The host agrees to make you feel awesome and welcome, while you, her guest, agree to be pleasant and appreciative. When both of these things are in sync, great things happen at the perfect dinner. So are you the perfect guest? With loads of shopping carts filling up with dinner items this season, we’ve pulled together a list of do’s and don’t’s to ensure you’re the perfect guest who gets invited to another event.
Be on time – Don’t be that guest who’s so early that you can tell the secret ingredient that your host is putting in her unbaked lasagna. If you can’t help but being super early, extend the courtesy of letting your host know so arrangements can be made to keep you appropriately entertained while you wait. Meanwhile, on the flip side of this rule, being too late toes the line of being inconsiderate. Here’s a little tip…. arriving about 15 minutes late (no later) is acceptable and welcome. Why? Unless your host is a super host who is ready well in advance and spends the last hour killing time (yeah, we know those rare and wonderful breeds exist), most hosts appreciate a little wiggle room to finish table setting, straightening up the living room or changing.
You + 1
If an invitation doesn’t explicitly say it’s for you “and a guest,”then under no circumstances are you to take someone with you or even ask if you can take someone with you. It’s considered rude on so many levels. Plus be considerate of your hosts budget and efforts.
To Read More: Purchase your copy of Volume 9 #5 November-December 2017
Share this post: