Invitations to a wedding shower
Posted 05/14/09
A wedding shower or a bridal shower is a get together organized to give gifts to the couple prior to their wedding. Primarily followed in North America it is organized by the bridesmaids and the gifts are generally for the couple's home. In earlier times it was also said to reduce pressure of dowry on the bride by receiving gifts from her friends and acquaintances. A wedding shower is also thrown to honor the start of a new household by the bride and to give gifts which support her in the same.The hosting and invitation is done by the maid of honor. Though if the maid of honor is a part of the brides immediate family she generally does not host the wedding shower. Tradition followed is to organize the wedding shower around 4 to 6 weeks before the actual wedding takes place. Generally if a number of outstation guests are expected wedding shower invitations are sent for a time close to the wedding so they can attend as well. The number of wedding shower invitations sent and the relatives who should be invited is subjective and is decided by the couple or the host.
Primarily to begin inviting people, a guest list is required which can be arranged from the bride or her mother if it is a surprise. Another important factor is that only people invited to the wedding should be invited to the bridal shower as otherwise the bride might get into an awkward situation. An invite should be sent around 4 weeks before the shower, thus there is enough time to keep calendar empty and it is not so far off that someone would forget accidentally.
If you are considering a themed bridal shower then it is preferred if special instructions for the same are sent with the wedding shower invitation. General directions to the wedding shower and contact numbers are present in the wedding shower invitation for the convenience of the guests. All personal friends and relatives of the bride are sent wedding shower invitations.
General tradition is to send one invite per person and not one invite for two people unless it is a couple shower where couples are invited. If there is more than one wedding shower organized, avoid inviting the same person again who will be burdened with arranging another gift. The invites can be sent by the mail, over the phone or can be given in person as well.
Though a personal touch to invites such as hand written invites is considered charming, generally to avoid confusion and for the convenience of the host professional help is available for wedding shower invites. Once a professional is employed for invites to the wedding shower they are in charge of the whole process from designing, printing till the distribution.
It is imperative that a bride send "thank you" cards to all the guests who attended the bridal shower before the wedding. As the card is sent before the wedding stationary with the brides maiden name should be used as the stationary with the brides married name is used only after the wedding.
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