Wedding Shower Invitation Etiquette
Traditionally, wedding showers are events that are hosted with the purpose of lending a helping hand to the bride-to-be for her future life. They are traditionally hosted by the ‘maid of honour’ but, of late they have also come to be hosted by the mother of the bride or groom, co-workers or friends. A bride can have one or more wedding showers hosted in her honour by the different groups that she associates with. Wedding showers have taken different forms these days with some of them still sticking to the more traditional ways of family get-togethers and others going a step further and getting combined with the new-age and funky bachelor and bachelorette parties. These days, wedding showers are hosted not only for the bride but also for the groom, with equal vigour. From what used to be an occasion exclusive to women, they have now grown to include the male friends too. But, for the men to turn up, you need to send them tasteful invitations. The wedding shower invitation is what begins it all and, like all paraphernalia concerned with the wedding shower, it has its own etiquette that ought to be followed.
When To Send The Invitations?
Wedding showers are conveniently held at least 2-4 weeks prior to the wedding. This is done so that these celebrations are over in time and the bride can fully concentrate on the wedding ahead. The invitations for the wedding shower are sent 4-6 weeks in advance to the event. This means that invitees are given sufficient time to plan their time, including the travel for those who stay far away. Those invited are expected to send their responses immediately. This helps the hosts arrange the necessary particulars for the occasion, including food and even staying arrangements, if required.
Specify The Particulars
The wedding shower can have different themes. The presents that the guests bring along should comply with this theme. These themes can vary from Vacation Shower to Kitchen Shower. While a Vacation Shower would require the guests to bring gifts that would help the bride to prepare for all the holidays in the year, a Kitchen shower obviously has gifts pertaining to the kitchen. There can also be showers where the bride might request the guests not to bring any gifts; in this case, the invitation must mention this very clearly yet politely. There can also be showers where the event is kept as a secret from the bride. In any case, it is important to specify all these particulars in the invitation.
Whom To Invite?
Traditionally, wedding showers used to be an all-girls event. The conventions however, have now changed considerably to give way to showers being held for the groom also and even for the couple together. The usual names on a shower invitation include those of the couple’s mothers, close friends, co-workers etc among others. But, like everything else, the invitation list has become malleable enough to accommodate all. But there are some things that must be kept in mind even here. Firstly, each one of the guests should be sent a personal invitation regardless of whether they belong to the same family. Secondly, in case of multiple showers, a guest should be invited to only one as it might be inconvenient for them to present a gift more than once. Of course, this does not apply if the guest wishes to be a part of more than one shower. Most importantly, never invite someone to a shower if you do not intend to invite them for the wedding. Also keep in mind that these showers are not events where all wedding guests can be invited; make sure that only those who are close to the couple are invited.
What More To Include
The wedding shower invitation should also specify the location where the event is going to be held. The names of the hosts and their contact details should also be specified so that the guests can get back to them for queries and suggestions. A response card may also be attached along with the invitation, for the invitees’ convenience.
Wedding showers are events that are to be cherished as added memories to an eventful marriage. More than the gifts that are bound to come in handy, it is the sheer pleasure of getting together that stays etched in the minds of all parties involved. So as the first step towards a successful wedding shower, it is imperative that you invite all the right company and also get the wedding shower invitation right.
