Etiquette expert William Hanson provides insight into whether it’s more courteous to arrive early or late.
Hailing from England, Hanson addressed the question of whether it’s preferable to show up 30 minutes early or late to a dinner party, and his response might be unexpected.
When attending a dinner at someone’s home, there are certain etiquette guidelines to consider.
This includes using polite language, remembering your manners, and it’s often appreciated if you bring a small gift for your host.
But what if you find yourself arriving earlier or later than planned? Which is more acceptable, early or late?
In a conversation with LADbible Stories, Hanson emphasized the importance of context.
He stated: “Socially, if I said to someone come for dinner at 7.30, what I do not want is people to be early.
“I would much rather someone was half an hour late than five minutes early. I’m probably not ready at 7.25, but I will be ready from 7.30.”
However, Hanson noted that the situation changes when it comes to business meetings.
“For a business meeting however, if it says it starts at 11, it means it starts at 11, not you rock up at 11, go to the loo, log onto the wi-fi, get a tea and coffee and then sort of by about 10 past 11 you’re ready to start.
“So there you arrive a little bit early, ready to start at the time the meeting says.”
In the comments section, many people shared their thoughts, often disagreeing with Hanson.
One person commented: “Yeah if someone is 5 minutes early to my house for dinner, no big deal. If someone is 30 minutes late I’m going to be a little annoyed.”
Another remarked: “If I tell you dinners at 7:30 I mean the food is ready at 7:30. If you are half an hour late your food will be cold.”
A third person added: “As a host…. I’m ready at least 10 minutes before.”
Some agreed with Hanson, with one person adding: “For dinner, I am cooking prepping cleaning and getting myself ready until the time I said it starts. If you come early it makes me more frantic.”
Another shared an experience of arriving at a party an hour early, resulting in an awkward hour spent with the host in the kitchen.
“It was over a decade ago and still this is the only moment I remember from that party, because I was so embarrassed,” they recounted.
“Since then I always make sure to double check the time and I’m not afraid to arrive much later than the initial time.”