If you are hosting a baby shower, one of the first things that must be done is to send out the invitations. Of course before that can be done, there are a few steps that must be taken first. Below are some tips and general guidelines on how and when to send out the baby shower invitations so that you get the most out of it.
The In’s and Out’s of Sending Baby Shower Invitations
First and foremost, you need a guest list. Get this from the mother to be. Make sure she remembers to include dad’s side of the family! She will also need to make sure she has correct addresses and phone numbers.
After you have the guest list, now you can either purchase or make the invitations. It doesn’t matter which way you go. The most important thing is the invitations are clearly for a baby shower. They don’t have to be too fancy, but a little decorative is always nice. Your ultimate goal is that you want the guests to know it’s an invitation for a shower just by looking at the invitation.
Make sure you save one for the mom to be for her baby book! She will love you for it.
Now that you have the invites and a guest list, you should either already or very soon have the date, time and place chosen for the shower. It is not necessarily required to have guests R.S.V.P, however I find it easier for myself to know about how many guests to expect. It’s easier when trying to plan for food and favors. Have them respond directly to you, and not the mother to be. You’ll be the one handling it, so they should call you.
You want to get them in the mail no later than two weeks before the shower, but not much earlier. This ensures there is enough time for the guests to plan on attending, but not too much time that they’ll forget about the event.
Keep a guest list by your phone. That way when someone R.S.V.P’s you can easily write yes or no next to their name so you’ll know who has responded and who has not. A few days before the shower you can call the people who have not let you know if they’ll be attending yet, using the phone list the mother provided to you.
If you follow these guidelines, sending out baby shower invitations won’t be so much of a headache, because you’ll have a plan to follow!