A baby shower host has a lot of responsibilities, but one of the first things to tackle is sending out an announcement to friends of family of the expectant mother. Here are some tips and ideas for your baby shower invitations.
- Reflect the Baby Shower Theme - Your invitations should reflect the theme of the party, so select the baby shower theme before you purchase or create your baby shower invitations. This gives party-goers a heads up about what to expect and can even help them decide on what to select for a gift.
- Include All Necessary Information - I cannot tell you how many times I have received a party invitation that didn't include all the necessary information. Before you send out your baby shower invites, be sure you have the party time, date and location. If the mother is decorating her baby's nursery in a particular theme, it is appropriate to let guests know this. It makes it much easier to buy a baby comforter if the giver knows the mother wants ladybugs and daisies.
- Send Your Invitations in a Timely Manner - No one likes getting invitations to a party only a day or two away. Give people plenty of advice notice so they can save the date. It's a good idea to then follow up with a phone call, about three or four days before the shower, to remind them.
- Include Gift Registry Information - Be sure to include whether the mother is registered for baby gifts anywhere. If you are sending invitations to friends or family out of town, you might include a website they can order from or alternative gift suggestions. Sometimes a shower hostess can collect the cards from out of town family and present them to the mother all together at the baby shower.
- Creative Invitation Ideas - While we'll cover specific invitation ideas in later baby shower theme articles, a baby shower hostess can get very creative with her invitations. Try checking out the craft section and picking up appropriately themed rubber stamps or scrapbooking supplies that will match the theme of the baby shower. Blank index cards are inexpensive invitations that can be easily embossed, stamped or decorated to reflect the mother's personality, taste and preference.
- Double Check the Guest List - Sometimes a mother may have only one baby shower so the hostess will need to be sure she has everyone's name and phone number (for follow up phone calls). Have you included work colleagues? Church friends? Relatives (both his and hers)? Hobby groups or other friends?
Whether you use store bought invitations or create your own doesn't matter as much as using them. Baby shower invitations are the first step to a brilliantly successful baby shower party.
This article is part of the Baby Shower Basics ebook which includes everything you need to put together a successful baby shower.
