Baby Shower: Party Timing & Invitation Advice (2024)

FAQs

Baby Shower: Party Timing & Invitation Advice? ›

Recommended timing: You should host the shower four to six weeks before the baby's due date, and you should send invitations one to two months ahead of the event.

When to Send Out Baby Shower Invites. Invitations are sent out three to six weeks before the shower. This gives guests enough time to respond, and get/send a gift if they are going to.

To include on the invitation: the name of the expectant mother or parents, the host's contact information and address, RSVP information, reply-by date if necessary for party planning, and, if revealed, the baby's gender. To not include: registry information.

Responses should be received 2–2.5 weeks before the baby shower. If you're celebrating out of town, consider requesting them even earlier if reservations are required. This should allow the host or hostess enough time to finalize everything before the special day.

Baby showers last on average 2-3 hours, depending on what's planned for the celebration. Plan for enough time to enjoy all of the baby shower games and activities you have planned for the day. Factor in things like the opening of gifts, snacking on hors d'oeuvres and cake, and catching up with friends and family.

Answer: Send out baby shower invites four to six weeks before the baby shower. If the baby shower is set to occur during month six or seven of the mom-to-be's pregnancy, you'll be sending out baby invitations during month five of her pregnancy.

For most parties, aim to send your invitations 3-6 weeks before the event. The less formal the celebration, the less time you need to give. These are the events where you plan a party, send invites (maybe just through text or email), and “see who shows up.”

Who Traditionally Pays for a Baby Shower? The hostess traditionally pays for the baby shower and its associated costs. However, the hostess can divide up the responsibility and costs by asking a few close family members or friends to co-host.

How Many People Should Attend a Baby Shower. Every baby shower is different, but most ladies agree that 15 to 30 is the perfect number of ladies at a typical baby shower or about 30-40 for a coed. These numbers change depending on the size of the family, number of friends, and even work colleagues involved.

Traditionally, the mother-to-be is the guest of honor at the baby shower. That said, if you're hosting a couples' shower, then you should list both parents as the guests of honor. A few ways you can designate the guest of honor in your invitation wording are… “[Parent's name] and [Parent's Name] are having a baby!”

How to word a baby shower invite? ›

Your text doesn't have to be complex. You can use this baby shower invitation template as a basis for your invite: A baby [boy] [girl] is on the way; please help us prepare for the very special day! Join us for [mom-to-be's name] baby shower on [date] from [start time] to [end time]. [Address] Hosted by [host's name].

Use the guest list to send invitations with an RSVP date of four weeks before the shower, suggests Gilbert. "Six weeks out is also the perfect time to have mom finalize her registry, to make sure gifts are getting there on time.

If you're worried that no one will offer to throw a baby shower for you, talk to a close friend or a relative and, if you're comfortable doing so, ask her to take the reins. But again, there are no hard-and-fast rules — if no one is available or you simply prefer to host the event yourself, feel free to do so.

Think about it this way: The typical baby shower should take place around your sixth or seventh month, and shower invitations should be sent out about four weeks beforehand. So you're looking at about your five- or six-month mark. Earlier than that, guests might forget.

If many guests will be local, aim to send the invites four to six weeks before the event. A bridal shower involving many out-of-towners, on the other hand, requires more advanced notice. Six or eight weeks should be sufficient time for long-distance guests to make transportation and lodging arrangements.

How to address baby shower invitations. Traditionally, a woman's name preceded a man's when listed, but now any order is fine. However, when one member's title (Dr. or The Honorable) outranks the other, they go first.

When do you have a baby shower? Baby showers can be held at any point but are typically held four to six weeks before the baby's due date. This timing is late enough that the pregnancy is well along but likely early enough to avoid the baby arriving beforehand and disrupting the party plans.