Once you know what type of shower you’re going to host, where it will be held and when, you’ll obviously need to choose the invitations. Shower invitations should reflect the spirit of the shower and the joy of babies. Casual or formal, cute or elegant, the invitations that you select normally reflect the theme of your party. If you choose a theme for the party, be sure to include that in the card. If you do not have a theme, send invitations with teddy bears, ducks, baby bottles or anything baby-related on them. Even basic invitations with blue and pink colors would work.
Baby shower invitations come in many shapes, forms, and sizes. Depending on the theme and formality of the shower, invitations can range from a casual phone call to the most formal engraved invitations. You decide what will work for the shower you are hosting.
You may invite guests by telephone, word of mouth or email (if you know for sure that they check their email regularly). This is a great way to plan a surprise baby shower, since there would be no "evidence" lying around for the mom-to-be to stumble upon. One word of caution, however, because our lives have become so busy and complicated, it is preferable to follow-up with something in writing. If not, you’re taking the chance the person won’t remember the correct date or time or, worse yet, she’ll forget the shower all together!
You may choose to purchase pre-printed invitations, which should be available at local card shops such as Hallmark. If you do decide to use pre-printed invitation, you can add a special touch by hand writing a personalized note at the bottom. You could write something like, "We sure hope you can come to share____and ____’s happiness" or "We sure hope you can come help us celebrate the up-coming arrival of ____’s baby girl/boy".
Creating your own cards by hand is also a wonderful idea. You can design them on a computer, then go and get however many copies you need. Some ideas for decorations for invitations include: pictures of baby items on the front, making them into shapes of baby items out of poster board and creating miniature "birth certificates" using a calligraphy pen to fill in the blanks of the shower information. If you wish to make the invitations more elaborate, you can put pressed flowers in the invitations. Lace can also be used to make things more ornate.
A professionally engraved or laser-printed invitation is best if the shower will be a formal occasion, such as a sit-down dinner or a formal tea. You can even have the invitations handwritten by a professional calligrapher, if you choose. There is also a full selection of baby shower invitations available online, with a wide variety of styles to pick from. Personalized candy, particularly full-sized chocolate bars, are another great way to invite people to the shower. The date and location of the shower is included on the wrapper.
On your invitations be sure to include all necessary contact information, including your name and number for questions or RSVPs, as well as the date, time, location of the shower and a map or directions if necessary. If you check it regularly, include your email address for a quick RSVP. You can also list any shower themes and where the mom-to-be is registered on the invitation. Send out invitations two to three weeks in advance to allow guests enough time to work the shower into their schedules and shop for the perfect gift, but not so much time that they will forget about the shower.
