When deciding whether or not to accept an invitation to a social gathering, consider the depth of your relationship with the person who has invited you.
When entering a party, pause near the entryway to make your presence known. Keep your arms at your sides, make eye contact with some people and smile at them. Get your bearings before you move on and get some food and drink.
Respect the personal space of others. An arm's length is a comfortable distance when conversing.
There's no such thing as fashionably late. Being late is the ultimate power play. It says, "My time is more important than your time."
There's no such thing as fashionably early. Never go to a party even one minute earlier than its scheduled time.
Bringing a bouquet of flowers to a party is really not very host-friendly. Your intentions are good; but the host has to interrupt the event to cut the flowers, find a vase and so forth.
If you receive a call on your cell phone, excuse yourself and remove yourself from the situation a little bit, so you're not intruding on other peoples' space.
After any event, always say thank you – in writing.
Mary Mitchell, etiquette author
The Mitchell Organization
215-574-1666
www.themitchell.org
