How should a host greet their arriving guests?

[LifeOnPluto]

Scenario: You are hosting a small, casual gathering at your house. Your (wooden) front door looks out onto your driveway. You also have a screened / flywire door. When the front door is open, you have a clear view of any cars that pull up (and the occupants of those cars have a clear view of you standing behind the screened door).   

In this case, the front door is open, giving you a clear view of the driveway. You happen to be in the front hallway (inside the house), when you see your guests pulling into the driveway, right on time. You stand and watch, from behind the screen door, as they get out of the car.

What should you do next? (see poll options). 

[NyaChan]

I think that as long as the guests are greeted by the host in a timely manner - i.e. they aren't just standing at the door wondering if the host is even home, it is fine.  I wouldn't expect a host to come all the way out to the car to lead me in, nor would I mind if they waited inside the door for me to walk up to the house.

[MrTango]

I ask myself why I'm just standing there instead of making sure for the 42nd time that everything is ready for my guests.   

Then, I take a quick look around while I'm waiting for them to get to the door.  Really, as long as you don't make them wait, I think any of the options are fine.

[gramma dishes]

The only reason I'd go out to the car would be if they had things they needed to carry in. 

It wouldn't apply in your stated scenario (small casual gathering), but say someone was coming for overnight with a couple of small children.  They have kids to carry, possibly a diaper bag, maybe a Pack N' Play, etc.  Then maybe I'd go out to make sure they knew I was enthusiastic about their being there and to help lug stuff in.

In the situation you mentioned specifically, no I'd let them ring the bell and then welcome them into the house.

[Gumbysqueak]

Guests ring the door bell. Hostess or Host goes to the door and says how wonderful to see you. Do you need any help?

[Lynn2000]

I went with "it really doesn't matter." I think as long as you don't make the guests stand there on your doorstep waiting for too long, it's fine. If they didn't need help carrying anything in, I probably would spend those last few seconds making sure everything in the house was okay, and go to the door only when they were about to reach it (or had reached it and knocked).

[magician5]

I wanted to say "doesn't matter", but then I thought: I'm uncomfortable being greeted before I'm ready to present myself. I may not have composed myself, or adjusted my tie, or gathered any items I need to take in, or warned the kids to behave, or steeled myself to be silent when Aunt Agnes starts her nagging.

[StarFaerie]

For me it would depend on how busy I was, the type of gathering and how long they were taking to get out of the car. I may just stick my head out the door, smile and yell, "Hey! Come on in. Beer's cold!", or I may go out to the car and help them with something, or I may go do the other 50 things I meant to do earlier and wait for them to knock.

[mindicherry]

Scenario: You are hosting a small, casual gathering at your house. Your (wooden) front door looks out onto your driveway. You also have a screened / flywire door. When the front door is open, you have a clear view of any cars that pull up (and the occupants of those cars have a clear view of you standing behind the screened door).   

In this case, the front door is open, giving you a clear view of the driveway. You happen to be in the front hallway (inside the house), when you see your guests pulling into the driveway, right on time. You stand and watch, from behind the screen door, as they get out of the car.

What should you do next? (see poll options).

Per the bolded

I can think of very few things that would creep me out more than a friend at a small, casual gathering coming out of their house to lead me in to their house.

I may pull up to the house and still need to reapply my lipgloss.  I may need to make a phone call before I head to the door or check my email on my phone.  I may need to readjust my bra strap.

Please don't stand at the front door watching me (or worse, coming out of the house, walking to my car and leading me in to your house as if I need help).  When I am ready to come in, I will ring your doorbell!

[CakeEater]

Scenario: You are hosting a small, casual gathering at your house. Your (wooden) front door looks out onto your driveway. You also have a screened / flywire door. When the front door is open, you have a clear view of any cars that pull up (and the occupants of those cars have a clear view of you standing behind the screened door).   

In this case, the front door is open, giving you a clear view of the driveway. You happen to be in the front hallway (inside the house), when you see your guests pulling into the driveway, right on time. You stand and watch, from behind the screen door, as they get out of the car.

What should you do next? (see poll options).

Per the bolded

I can think of very few things that would creep me out more than a friend at a small, casual gathering coming out of their house to lead me in to their house.

I may pull up to the house and still need to reapply my lipgloss.  I may need to make a phone call before I head to the door or check my email on my phone.  I may need to readjust my bra strap.

Please don't stand at the front door watching me (or worse, coming out of the house, walking to my car and leading me in to your house as if I need help).  When I am ready to come in, I will ring your doorbell!

I'm not creeped out by the prospect, but occasionally I do need to do something at the car, and wouldn't want someone standing there.

I associate going out to the car with people who are excited to see you. If, for example, they haven't seen you for a year and you've travelled a long way to be there, or it's grandkids rushing out to see their grandparents. I'd be wondering why you were so excited to see me.

[nuit93]

I'd be weirded out if someone came to my car to walk me in.  Even more so since many of my friends live in areas where the only parking available is street parking that might be a block or two away from where they live!

[mindicherry]

Scenario: You are hosting a small, casual gathering at your house. Your (wooden) front door looks out onto your driveway. You also have a screened / flywire door. When the front door is open, you have a clear view of any cars that pull up (and the occupants of those cars have a clear view of you standing behind the screened door).   

In this case, the front door is open, giving you a clear view of the driveway. You happen to be in the front hallway (inside the house), when you see your guests pulling into the driveway, right on time. You stand and watch, from behind the screen door, as they get out of the car.

What should you do next? (see poll options).

Per the bolded

I can think of very few things that would creep me out more than a friend at a small, casual gathering coming out of their house to lead me in to their house.

I may pull up to the house and still need to reapply my lipgloss.  I may need to make a phone call before I head to the door or check my email on my phone.  I may need to readjust my bra strap.

Please don't stand at the front door watching me (or worse, coming out of the house, walking to my car and leading me in to your house as if I need help).  When I am ready to come in, I will ring your doorbell!

I'm not creeped out by the prospect, but occasionally I do need to do something at the car, and wouldn't want someone standing there.

I associate going out to the car with people who are excited to see you. If, for example, they haven't seen you for a year and you've travelled a long way to be there, or it's grandkids rushing out to see their grandparents. I'd be wondering why you were so excited to see me.

Oh - when our relatives from out-of-town arrive, my kids are usually at the front door to bum-rush them upon arrival (but that may be because DH's family has a habit of calling and saying "we are 20 minutes away"..."now we are 10 minutes away"..."now we are 3 minutes away".

And I admit - when I am waiting for someone to arrive, I do about 50 extra "pass-bys" of the front door, wondering if they have arrived yet.  BUT, as soon as I see them pull up to the house, I head back to the kitchen/family room and wait for them to ring the doorbell.

Answering the doorbell within 1.25 seconds (because you were waiting at the door) just seems creepy to me.  Even in the most formal situations, people should be able to have at least 45-60 seconds between the time they ring the doorbell and the time their host greets them!

[NbyNW]

I chose "It really doesn't matter" but in the circumstances you describe (front door open, standing in the hallway with a clear view) I probably would go out to greet them or if I waited in the doorway I would at least wave to acknowledge their presence. My reasoning is that they could see that I saw them and it would seem weird to me to just stand there waiting for them to knock on the door.

Truthfully, though, my own personal circumstances when hosting any sort of get-together would most likely be me scrambling around desperately trying to finish last minute preparations so relieving me of any debate about style of greeting.

[secretrebel]

I'd wave at the guests but unless they were burdened with lots of bags, just wait for them to come to the door.

I might pop back to the kitchen and put the kettle on.

[Lady Snowdon]

I have a dog who will happily escape out the front door if it's opened and no one's holding on to his collar.  I also don't have a working door bell.  If I notice someone's here before they knock, my first action is going to be to look around for the dog to make sure he's not dead!  Since my dog usually notifies us of someone arriving, I just wait for them to get out of their car, open the door and welcome them.