How can I politely tell people to not be late to my parties?

[Owen]

I hold parties every once in a while, and the thing that annoys me most is people who show up late. I can understand being a few minutes late, but there have been times where otherwise polite people show up to my house forty five minutes late, offer no explanation, and then ask, "Why didn't you wait until we arrived to bring out the snacks? Now I have nothing to eat." I'd rather these people come early than late.

Anyways, I'm thinking of holding an end-of-the-school-year bash for my friends, and I want to somehow tell them to not be late. How can I do so without hurting anyone's feelings?

By the way, I put this in Chit Chat because I thought it would be out of place in the Support and Advice forum. Move it if you think otherwise.

[otc877]

When you invite them just say the time the date and "Don't be late!" in a cheerful tone.

If they come late and complain about the snacks being gone just remind them that they came late and missed it. Really there isn't much you can do about punctuality to a party.
There's always going to be the fashionably late people.

[Louise]

Well the easiest way is to make it into a joke, the people who come regularly late to your party you just have to tell them that it starts at 8pm for example and you'll be setting out the snacks at 8:10. Then they can't complain if there is nothing left to eat because they will have been warned.

People who have come late to your parties and been in this position will know who they are and should make the effort to arrive on time. It would be nice if they arrived on time for you and out of politeness not for the snacks by hey whatever works.

[InaRut]

Be there or be square lol
that would work in the 1950's

hahahah I think you just need to say the snacks are a first come first serve basis and if you there late you miss out. Alot of my friends work and stuff though so I don't really care about latenes. I mean people have their priorities :P

[Paul_UK]

The only other point is to make sure the starting time is reasonable for people to get home from school or work, get ready (at least an hour) and get to your place. Then they can't moan that you are starting too early.

Some people do like to arrive once it is going, but if they do that they cannot complain about missing stuff!

[Lexington]

Most of my parties are cocktail-y, hang-out-y sorts. We put out snacks in waves - some at the start, others as they come out of the oven. Some people show up right at the start, others don't show up until later, and David ALWAYS shows up about 90 minutes after the party starts, and leaves 15 minutes later. (He has a bit of a phobia about being in large groups in a social context.) If you swap the party to that sort, there no longer IS an "on-time" to show up at. In fact, it's actually fun watching the party dynamic change as various people come and go.

If you'd rather stick with your format, give them two times. "Party starts at five, food served at six." Then if they show up after six, it's not like they didn't know.

Lex

How about, "My party is around 730, be there on time because we were gonna walk around and we wont be there at 8" or something lol

I would just buy more snacks, have a feast! Whatever is left over you can just have for yourself throughout the week. Honestly when I have parties I expect everyone to be late, because that's more realistic. There are so many variables that can prevent a person from arriving on time.

I've Only Held Like 2 Parties Ever...

The First Was Really Nothing Big Only About 15 Close Friends???? But Yeah They Do Get Late...

The Second Party I Held (Well, Actually My Cousins And Some Other People Helped) Was Not That Long Ago, It Was For My Birthday And It Was Quite Big, We Really Had Dress Themes (It Was Masquerade! And Actually We Had To Take Our Masks Off At 9:00 PM But At My Other Cousin's Masquerade Party They Took Their Masks Off At 11:00 PM, She's 17 While I'm Still 14 So Yeah 9:00 PM...) Getting To The Point... My Cousins Already knew That There Would Always Be These Guys Who Would Arrive Late From The Over-All Guest List Of About 30-50 People So On Our Invitation We Set The Time 30 Minutes EARLY Than The Actual Time The Party Would Start....

[Micah]

Not everyone is going to be able to make it to your party on time, especially when your friends might be relying on parents to drive them, or public transport. It could be considered rude to expect everyone to arrive on time, because then you would be assuming that your party takes number 1 priority in peoples lives, which sort of ruins the vibe of what a party is

That being said, it's equally as rude to arrive late and then complain about the party (or missing out on something like food). My solution would be to buy more food, and have a few "waves" throughout the night, have the first wave something light and "snacky" such as chips or lollies, then perhaps save the heavier food for later until nearly everyone is there.

[Kimi]

Tell them don't be late in cheerful tone and put your index finger to your under lip and and stare them in sexy look

JK

[Jeimuzu]

You can't. Be thankful that they turn up, and if you bring out the snacks too early for them, tough. But people will always be late. People have other things they need to do. The fact that your party is on their list of things to do at all is a compliment.

i have one friend, lets call her -pooky-.. and she is ALWAYS late. lots of the time i tell her it starts earlier than it does, or else i say "it starts at 7 - Leigh time, not Pooky time!!"

[RENThead]

^^
thats what i would do.

if there are certian people who are always late, just tell them a different time..
(just say ur party starts at 8)

then tell everyone 8, but the people who come late tell them it is about 7:30-8ish.. then they will think 7:30. (and then turn up by 8.)


or u could have more snacks, and bring some out later. or BYO.

[Rette]

you could tell people to bring their own snacks. If they're late, then they can at least eat what they brought.

[Kenko]

Phoney start time for people that are perpetually late. Say the party starts at 8:00 If they are always a half hour late, say it starts at 7:30. If they are always an hour late say it starts at 7. I know people who have actually used this technique.

[Lexington]

My mother was often late, so she used to set the clocks ahead ten minutes. The problem was, she always KNEW the clocks were ahead ten minutes, and so would take that into account. She'd be driving somewhere, she'd look down at the clock in the car, and say, "6:07. That means it's really 5:57. So I still have three minutes."

...I never did understand that.

Lex

[Poring]

Originally Posted by Lexington

My mother was often late, so she used to set the clocks ahead ten minutes. The problem was, she always KNEW the clocks were ahead ten minutes, and so would take that into account. She'd be driving somewhere, she'd look down at the clock in the car, and say, "6:07. That means it's really 5:57. So I still have three minutes."

...I never did understand that.

Lex

LOOOL!

my dad does the same whenever we have appointments and stuff. Thats why I always have my phone handy, even when inside the house, just to be sure that the time is correct

Originally Posted by Lexington

My mother was often late, so she used to set the clocks ahead ten minutes. The problem was, she always KNEW the clocks were ahead ten minutes, and so would take that into account. She'd be driving somewhere, she'd look down at the clock in the car, and say, "6:07. That means it's really 5:57. So I still have three minutes."

...I never did understand that.

Lex

I actually set the time on my car to be ten minutes fast, so at 5:57 my clock says 5:47. I see it as 5:57 when I look at it, so it doesn't make much sense at all, even to me. I am comfortable with it though, and feel a sort of power over my passengers in that I know what time it is and they do not, mwhahahaahahahhhahahhaa