Top 10 Dinner Party Don'ts
For the host and the invitee, practical wisdom to sidestep common faux pas.
If you’re the host, don’t…
Be late serving the food.
Seat spouses or significant others together—boring!
Rush through courses. Pause between them, leaving time for second helpings
Serve dessert at the table—get up and have it in the living room to spice things up.
Start washing dishes—cleaning up is a guaranteed evening-ender.
If you’re a guest, don’t…
Be more than 25 minutes late, but never be exactly on time or early.
Bring something you expect the host to integrate into the meal—he or she has everything planned.
Use iPhones during the dinner, or at any other time during the evening—ever.
Forget to pay attention to both people you are sitting next to.
Stay too late or leave too early (especially at a small fete, where one premature departure can spur a mass exodus).
Photo: Susanna Howe
