If you're invited to a dinner party at 6pm...

[mtemm]

op, that to me would mean the party starts at 6pm, so that is when I would arrive.

 

[Rora]

6

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

5:55-6:05

 

[Carly_Roach]

5:55.

I'm another Michigander who's experience with other people in this area shows that dinner is typically around 6:00 or thereabouts. Many times a formal dinner would start at 7:00 but never later than 8:00. 8:00 would be considered unusually late.

 

[ICF]

probably around 5 mins before 6. If the invite says 6, then I'd be there by 6....not later.

 

[JessicaR]

OP here! The invitation said "Please join us for a dinner party on September 26th from 6:00pm to 10pm"

Does this change anyone's mind?

Op - that would mean the party was Saturday night. What time did the guests show?
Most importantly - did you have fun?

 

[C.Ann]

I would arrive somewhere between 5:50 and 5:55 p.m..

As for the hostess running around at the last minute doing things, I can't quite wrap my head around that.. If I invite someone for dinner at 6, I'm all prepared and waiting for my guests to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time..

Then again, I'm a stickler for punctuality, so maybe that's where the difference lies..

 

[BelleWDW]

OP here! The invitation said "Please join us for a dinner party on September 26th from 6:00pm to 10pm"

Does this change anyone's mind?

I would arrive at 6-but guessing they are expecting folks to arrive as late as 6:30

For a 4 hour party-I'd guess drinks and appetisers fro 1- 1/2 hours then dinner at 7:30

 

[lila]

I would show up between 6:15 to 6:30. Cocktails.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Op - that would mean the party was Saturday night. What time did the guests show?
Most importantly - did you have fun?

I arrived about 6:05 and there was already one person there. Everyone else had arrived by 6:10pm. There were a few people that said they were coming but didn't bother to show up, nor did they contact the hostess and let her know. We had a GREAT time!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I would arrive around a few minutes either side of 6:00 if the party were being given by someone I didn't see regularly.

I have one friend who entertains a lot and likes us to show up earlier than the time she gives. If she says 2:00 and you arrive there at 2:00, she'll scold you for being late. That actually happened with her this past 4th of July.

I also have relatives who are always running behind and will leave you waiting for hours while they dress, finish cooking, setting up furniture, etc. We try to help, but they tend to be disorganized, it's not so easy to do.

So I guess the answer is that it depends on who invited us.

 

[MIGrandma]

If I am invited to a dinner party at 6 p.m. then I arrive at 6 p.m. If I'm going to be more than 5-10 minutes late I would call and let them know not to wait for me.

And if I am hosting a party I prefer people arrive at the time I told them. I've had people ask "can we come early?" and what do I say to them? I tell them it's fine if they want to come early, but I really don't like it. Especially if they want to hang out in the kitchen while we're trying to get last minute things done. It just makes me too nervous to have people hovering like that, and wanting to chat. Maybe that's why I no longer have dinner parties.