You're invited to a friends for dinner at 7pm, what time do you ring their doorbell?

[suggestionsplease1]

Out of interest, feel free to post to the minute!

Let's say this is not a very, very close friend, so you don't have a pre-existing idea of their expectations / preferences for your arrival time.

After reading another thread on visitor etiquette on AIBU today I was wondering if mumsnetters can converge on a perfect time, or if there are widely differing ideas on this issue!

By 7.15, can’t believe dinner would be dished up at 7, usually drinks and nibbles first.

@JackieCollinshasnoauthority

6.55

Never arrive even a minute before the invited time. Ever.Very bad form (unless close family).

5 to 10 minutes after the stated time. If you're likely to be later, let them know.

The dinner wouldn't be on the table at 7; you have been invited for 7.

@SuperCaliFragalistic

7.20. I would intend to be there at about 7.10 but I’m always late.

this is verging on rude. Especially if you are "always late". I hate hate hate people who are perpetually late. If I was going to be any later than 7.05 I would be sending very apologetic texts and have a very good excuse.

Luckily most of the people I know are similar - last time I had folk round I invited them to come at 3. One family arrived at 3.30 and the others at 3.45.

@Quaggars

I'd be there for 7pm. Seeing as that's the time we'd agreed on. Absolutely cannot stand people who fanny about and turn up late - do my head in. So rude. I've taken to telling people like that half an hour to an hour before I want to meet them, depending on how bad they are - that way we usually meet at the same time was arranged in the first place lol.

@Quaggars

you are my tribe!

we used to have to tell a certain couple to turn up at 12.00 noon if we wanted to see them at 1.30pm. they have never ever disappointed us by being too early, in fact often still wouldn't make it on time!

really bloody annoying when you are on a schedule.
we ended up telling them that food was gonna be served at 1.30pm and if they weren't there we'd have to start without them. and we did. some people are hopeless

Between 6.45 and 7 pm.
I prefer to be a bit earlier and help if needed rather then being late.I think it's offensive to the host.

If the invitation was to arrive for 7 (not to eat at 7) then a few minutes after 7 is ideal. In reality I am often late but don’t hunk it’s desirable!

Interesting that others think it’s rude to arrive too soon after 7. When I’m hosting it stresses me out if no one has arrived soon after the arrival time. Now I will feel better!

7.10

@Deadleaf29

I’d have assumed that meant they were serving up at 19:00 so, given most people expect their guests ahead of that point, I’d have asked what time they wanted me to arrive, and would then arrive within 5 minutes either side of that time!

Don't you have a drink first? When we invite for, say 7pm we will probably eat at about 7.30.

7.10 definitely (& nobody would invite you for dinner at 7pm meaning the food was on the table as you walk in the door - that would be weird! If they wanted to serve dinner at 7 they’d say ‘come round at 5.30, food will probably be 7ish’.. or similar).

I really really hate it when people are early & always appreciate the extra ten minutes if they don’t arrive bang on time - it’s the difference between them arriving whilst I’m on my hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor and them arriving & I’ve got make up on & a G&T in hand!

Some of you are baffling, if I was hosting and said 7 I'd expect you between 6:50-7:20

7pm - 7.10pm, and I would struggle to even be that late, I'm more likely to be around the corner at 6.45 knowing I'm early

Bang on 7 would be rude. 7.15/20 would be respectable.

7.05

And would have finished every task by around 5pm including getting changed

7.07

Aim for 7:05 but I'm always early so will arrive at 6.55 wait around the corner till 6:59

@cheezy

Bang on 7 would be rude. 7.15/20 would be respectable.

No it wouldn't. It really wouldn't. If I say 7 and people turn up at 7.30 that would be rude.

7:15ish

Probably 6.50, but would have been sat outside in the car for at least 20 minutes. I hate being late for anything and blame my Mum. She would receive a wedding invitation for 8pm and would insist on arriving at 7.30. I have to set off early in case of traffic jams, car breakdowns, road closures, the march of the penguins and the zombie apocalypse

Don’t people usually say why don’t you come at 7 for 7.30 which means you can basically come after 7 but we will be serving at 7.30 so I wd Aim for 7.05-7.10

Actually it depends on the friend. Most of mine put 7ish anyway. So that's 6:45-7:15. With a text that we are in our way

Being 10 mins early is sooooo rude in my view. It would totally and completely throw me, I wd not be ready and it Wd get us off to totally the wrong start….

@campion thank you for the spectacular hubris but my answer stands at 6.55.

@Thethingswedoforlove

Don’t people usually say why don’t you come at 7 for 7.30 which means you can basically come after 7 but we will be serving at 7.30 so I wd Aim for 7.05-7.10

Oooo good point. Then aim for 7;05-7:15 in this instance

@3JsMa

Between 6.45 and 7 pm. I prefer to be a bit earlier and help if needed rather then being late.I think it's offensive to the host.

Noooooo. Don’t arrive any earlier than you’re invited. It isn’t helpful in any way whatsoever.

Invitation for 7pm - arrive between 7.05 and 7.15.

No one invites people for dinner at the time they are serving up!