My boyfriend and I have been pretty serious now for awhile and reacently the topic of marriage has come up . The plan seems to be that we would both like to be engaged in the next year. My parents are more than okay with this if that is what we both want . They would however like to meet his parents before this happens. So my parents invited his family over for dinner. His parents declined saying that it is not proper etiquette for the girlfriends parents to invite the boyfriends parents over for dinner? I told him in this day and age what dose it matter . Is it approiate for a girls family to invite a guys family over for dinner? If anyone can help me prove it is; that would be great because unless I can prove that this is exceptable his parents want nothing to do with mine till the engagement.
Thanks

There is absolutely no etiquette that dictates what they are stating. I am shocked that they responded in this manner. Your parents simply want to meet the parents of someone you are dating. THAT IS NORMAL, and his parents should want to meet your parents too. Tell your boyfriend to ask his parents to show him where it states it is inappropriate in any book of etiquette. It is normal and acceptable for either the bf's parents to invite the gf's parents to dinner or vice versa, prior to any engagement announcement. It is especially normal when they are dating in such an exclusive and serious manner as you two are. Don't they want to know everything about you if you are dating their son? How ridiculous! What they are doing is considered in the etiquette world, to be very rude behavior, and you can print this out and have your boyfriend show them my response.

Is this cultural?

I've personally never heard of the "rules" they are throwing in your face and I'd be insulted by their behavior. Your boyfriend needs to speak with them... that's very rude of them to decline.

IF they can give you a good reason for that, they should invite your family over if that's what THEY believe to be correct.

My best friend is engaged and before she did so her mother invited his whole family out to dinner. No one had a problem with it.

I wonder the same as Learning - are they a different culture then your family?