Baby Shower Invitations Need a Bit of Careful Thought

A baby shower is a special occasion and so naturally it is only right that you would want to formally invite your guests. So, unless a baby shower is going to be a surprise or is being arranged in a hurry, then a written invitation is almost always the best method to use. When this is not feasible then inviting your guests personally by phone is acceptable and e-mailed invitations ought to be avoided despite the fact that they might appear to be fast and convenient.

Providing your finances allow then your baby shower invitations can be custom printed but this is really unnecessary as there are many first class pre-printed invitations available either on the Internet or locally. Alternatively you can also make your own invitations as long as you have enough time and a bit of artistic talent. As with any invitation to a party your guests will have to have some basic information including the name of the person who is the subject of the baby shower, the name of the host, the date and time of the baby shower, the location and instructions on how to reply.

Another thing to consider adding is details of the theme for the event or the baby shower gift registry and this can be a bit tricky as a lot of people feel this is presumptuous and places undue pressure on your guests. Naturally this is a matter of personal preference, but one answer that frequently works is to leave this off your invitations, ask you guests to reply by phone and then slip this tactfully into the conversion if guests do confirm that they will be attending. Do not forget though that you will have to have this information on hand when your guests telephone and etiquette says that you must only give out your baby shower gift registry information if your guest requests it. When your baby shower is going to be a formal event then you cannot go far wrong if you keep to etiquette but, if your shower is less formal and involves only close friends you can probably relax the rules.

The timeline for a baby shower planning is important and the more advance notice your guests are given the better. Accordingly, you ought to try to send your invitations out some 4 to 6 weeks prior to the shower date and this is particularly important if out of town guests are being invited. Where this is not feasible then you ought to certainly try to send your invitations out at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead of the party. Advance notice allows your guests to organize their personal schedules, reply and shop for appropriate gifts.

It is also important that you ask your guests to telephone you to let you know if they will be coming. With all the tasks involved in planning your baby shower the last thing you want to do is to have to telephone around to find out whether some of the guest will be attending. However, there will invariably be some guests who do not reply and so one week prior to the party date you will need to make time to call those individuals to ascertain their intentions. Having accurate numbers will be a great help when it comes to making the arrangements for your special event.

Parenting4Dummies.com provides everything you need to complete your baby shower event planner including details of wording for baby shower invitations.