HOW TO BE A GOOD PARTY GUEST

From Beaumont Etiquette, an etiquette consultancy for high-end clients, etiquette expert Myka Meier has some tips for how to behave at parties. (* I’ve never said the word said ‘etiquette’ so many times in my life.):
– A host should never say, ‘Ladies first.’ Instead, say, ‘After you.’
– Make sure guests never linger too long with empty glasses.
– You should be comfortable with uncorking a bottle of wine or Champagne. The less noise you make with a Champagne bottle, the better it is in terms of etiquette.
– When holding a glass of wine, we never hold at the bowl, always hold at the stem.
– When drinking, always drink from the same part of the glass every single time to avoid that lip ring that can happen from lipstick or just natural oils from your mouth.
– If there are canapes or hors d’oeuvres at a wedding or event, always take a napkin first, then the food.
– Hold your napkin with food or your glass in your left hand so that your right hand stays open to meet, greet, and shake hands.
– As you’re being introduced to new people, resist the urge to ask the natural and obvious question: “What do you do?” It can come across as opportunistic. Questions about weekend plans, for example, are much better icebreakers.
– If it’s a private home and there’s a dinner party that starts at 7 p.m., you never show up early – ever. For an event at someone’s home, it’s appropriate to get there five to 10 minutes after the invitation time.
– For a large networking event, it’s fine to arrive up to 20 minutes after the time listed on the invitation.
– Whenever you enter someone else’s home, it’s important to always ask if they’d like you to take off your shoes. If you’re the one who’s hosting and you ask your guests to remove their shoes, offer some disposable “house shoes” or slippers. It can make guests feel more comfortable than being barefoot in someone else’s home.
– If you’re taking flowers as a gift, get an arrangement that comes in a vase so your hostess doesn’t have to take time to find a vase herself.
– When you bring wine, hosts might feel pressured to serve the bottle that you brought, which which may not match the meal. Instead,take Champagne, which is almost always appropriate.
– Everyone loves thank-you cards. If it’s an informal event, a thank-you email is okay.
* Why am I suddenly talking like Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”?
* How many times should you go to your car to empty the hors d’oeuvres out of your pockets?
* “Would you like me to take off my shoes? But I gotta warn you – the correct answer is no.”
* In dinner conversation, never be the first person to drop an F-bomb.
* No Champagne burping contests.
* I wonder if, at a state dinner, the Queen of England ever says, “Dig in!”
* I always drink around the entire glass. It’s only fair to the rest of the rim.
* PHONE TOPIC: My most embarrassing party gaffe.