5 House Party Etiquette Rules
5 pro tips for being a dignified house party guest.
House parties are a great way to keep in touch with friends and those you have not seen in a long time. They can be an amazing way to have fun, socialize, and get away from your daily schedule! But because these celebrations are usually reserved for adults, house parties require a little bit of etiquette.
Everyone has their own idea of what appropriate house party behaviour is, and it changes depending on the type of house party you’re attending. But here are some general guidelines for good manners to follow at any event:
1. Get the Timing Right
The first step to being a great party guest is to get your timing right. In other words, you need to know when to show up for the shindig to avoid encountering an awkward situation.
The timing of your arrival at a party is crucial. If you show up too early, the host may be caught off guard and has to rush around to tidy up, prepare food, and get the party started. If you arrive too late, you might miss out on some of the fun or mess up the host’s plans for the celebration. If you’re the host, being ready for the party on time is simply a way to be respectful to your guests.
Oftentimes, party guests can get confused about when they should arrive at a celebration. On one hand, we all want to be punctual and dependable for our friends. On the other hand, there’s such a thing as being “fashionably late.” So, how can you make sure your party timing is appropriate? It all depends on what type of party you’re attending.
If you’re going to a small and intimate dinner party, it’s best to show up on time for the party. Whether the host is preparing the food themselves or planning on ordering in, being punctual will help them keep their party on track.
On the other hand, if you’re going to a more rambunctious and loud shindig involving more people, you have a bit more freedom when choosing to show up. If you elect to be “fashionably late,” you have a window of about 15-30 minutes to show up. If you take any longer than that to attend the party, your friends might begin to think you forgot about them and carry on without you!
2. Know Your Limits
Having drinks at a party is part of having fun. But make sure you know your limits when it comes to alcohol and stay within them. In general, it’s always better to err on the side of being the responsible person at a party. This means finding a way to balance drinking and having fun with keeping your wits about you and staying sharp.
If you’re trying to figure out how many beverages you should consume during a party, here’s a good benchmark strategy for the average person: Consume two alcoholic drinks during the first hour of the party, and then one beverage in every following hour. This lets you get a happy buzz and maintain it throughout the celebration without turning into that one sloppy drunk party guest who needs to be looked after!
AUXGOD Team Note: Be responsible, and never drink and drive.
Your friends and family depend on you.
3. Read the Room
Everyone has that one weird uncle at Thanksgiving dinner. You know, the one that disturbs the family peace with his conspiracy theories about how the moon landing was fake and the government is being run by lizard-people. What we’re trying to say is don’t be that guy – read the room.
Parties are a time to hang out with friends and get away from the daily humdrum world. Unless the party host and other guests are into having political debates at dinner time, it’s usually best to keep your possibly controversial opinions to yourself. There’s nothing wrong with mentioning your perspective or point of view, but starting an unwelcome argument at a party will kill the mood instantly and ruin your chances of getting invited to any upcoming celebrations.
As a rule, if you’re unsure whether or not to share your controversial opinions during a get-together, look at the other guests and read the room. If other people at the party have already started a controversial discussion and it’s going well, go ahead and join in! Otherwise, keep it light and casual.
4. Keep it Clean
If you’re like the vast majority of people, you’re not a big fan of cleaning your house. Sure, it’s a thing you do as a responsible adult. But let’s face it, there are about a hundred other things you’d rather be doing than scrubbing, dusting, and sweeping your home – your friends probably share the same sentiment.
With that in mind, part of being a considerate house party guest is being respectful of the host’s home. Dance, move around, have fun, but be polite and careful with your friend’s things. Be especially mindful when you have food or drinks that can stain clothes or furniture like wine, juice, coffee, soy sauce, berries, and so on. Treat the space like you would your own home, and the party host will be thankful.
5. Help Your Host
Throwing a shindig can get stressful for even the most experienced party hosts. It never hurts to offer to help your friend manage their party by assisting with food, prep, or even decorations. While this isn’t a hard and fast rule for party etiquette, it’s always polite to reach out to your future party host and check if they need help with anything. If they say no (they usually will), a simple and discreet way you can help your friend host their party is to bring along a fun party game. That way, if you notice the party getting a bit too boring or quiet, you can break out the activity and liven up your celebration!
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