A baby shower is a gift-giving party for a pregnant woman who will receive many gifts for her new baby. The invitation should specify when, where and what to wear (usually formal). Send out baby shower invitations at least a week before the event.
The hostess of a baby shower is usually the mother-to-be, but in some families, it’s customary to have other family members or friends throw the party. If you’re considering throwing a baby shower, ask yourself how you will invite guests, the menu, the timings, and the venue.
When does it happen?
- The baby shower usually happens after the baby is born.
- The baby shower can be held before the baby is born.
- The baby shower can be kept after the birth of the baby.
- The baby shower can be held during pregnancy, but this may not be appropriate for all couples or families (especially if you’re having multiples).
Baby showers are essential and unique.
Baby showers are a great way to celebrate the birth of a new baby. They’re also an excellent opportunity for friends and family members to show their love and support for the mother-to-be and get gifts for her and her new baby.
Make sure you keep your guests entertained.
Games are great ways to keep everyone entertained. At the same time, they wait their turn to open presents, so try putting together some fun games like “pinata” (a paper bag filled with goodies) or “dessert roulette,” where each guest gets assigned one dessert item from a list before entering into battle against each other using only their forks (no hands allowed).
Who is invited?
- Family and friends. The baby shower is a time to celebrate the coming birth of your child, so it’s natural to want to share the news with people close to you. You can invite family members and friends from both sides of the family, but don’t invite anyone who doesn’t know either parent or has not been invited to the wedding (even if that person has been helping out financially).
- People who won’t be at the wedding. If you’re hosting an open house after your ceremony, feel free to invite people who won’t be able to attend your nuptials; otherwise, keep them off this list!
Invite through email.
You have a couple of options for inviting people to your baby shower. Mail is a good option if you’re asking people from far away, but email is better if you know your guests live nearby.
Email invites are less formal than mailed invitations, so they’re easier to send. If you decide on an email invitation, ensure it has the same information as your hard copy version (including RSVP info).
How to invite people – Mail etiquette
How do you invite people to your baby shower? Here’s a good email template you can use as a starting point. It would help if you used a proper salutation, such as “Dear Mr Smith” or “To Whom It May Concern. “You should also use a formal closing, such as “Sincerely yours,” or sign your name at the bottom of the invitation (no punctuation).
Baby shower invitations should be addressed to your recipient’s home address so they can receive it in their mailbox. If you invite people over for dinner on Friday at 6 pm, then make sure you include this information! You can also have directions if needed, such as how far away from town they’ll need to travel before reaching your house (i.e., 1 mile north of Main Street).
It’s always good manners when sending out invitations via mail so include postage stamps along with an RSVP envelope where guests can put their response inside and send it back via postal service postmarked no later than seven days after receiving their initial invitation email/text message etcetera.
