When family, friends and co-workers ask to host a shower in your honor, it's a lovely testament to your friendships. Showers are not an expected event during everyone's pregnancy or engagement, thus when a friend offers to host a shower, your role is to be as helpful as possible.
Your role begins early in the shower's planning stages. Your first job is to provide your host with a comprehensive invitation list. Before you compile the list, chat with your host(s) to find out if there are space limitations that will restrict the number of guests. With these restrictions in mind, create a list of appropriate guests, including family, friends and close co-workers. Providing the list and number of anticipated guests as early as possible helps your host(s) determine the location of your party and enables them to establish a budget for the invitations, food and decorations. Be sure your invitation list includes the first and last names of all your guests, their mailing address, phone numbers and e-mail addresses to make following up easy with guests who have not responded to the invitation. On average, invitations will be mailed four to six weeks prior to the event, so it's crucial you give the host(s) the guest list about three months before the event's date. Don't forget to send invitations to far-away family and friends. They'll be delighted to be included and will often send their blessings and a gift in their absence.
Diane Quast is the author of The Pregnant Pen: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Baby Showers and Thank You Notes and Wedding Words: The Bride's Guide to Wedding Showers and Thank You Notes found on the web at www.thepregnantpen.com.
Thanks for the helpful tip, Diane!
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