How to Word For Baby Shower Invitations

Wording for baby shower invitations is generally less formal, and less dictated by etiquette, than wording for invitations to other, more formal events like weddings or baptisms. However, there are some basic pieces of information that must be conveyed in your shower invitation, and using clear, precise wording can help this information get through to your guests.

Instructions

1. Often, baby shower invitations incorporate little rhymes or cute sayings. You could begin the invitation with something simple, like "You're invited," or with something a little fancier using rhymes or short poems. Some good ideas can be found at the link below. Just try to convey two things in the opening sentence or phrase: that the person to whom the invitation is addressed is invited, and that the event will be a baby shower.

2. After your initial greeting, name the person(s) for whom the baby shower will be thrown. If you are throwing the shower before the baby is born (the most common type of shower these days), use the mother's name (and the father's, if he'll be at the shower). For example: "You're invited to celebrate Mary Walter's pregnancy" or "Come to a shower for Sarah and David."If the baby has already been delivered, you can use the baby's name: "You're invited to celebrate the birth of Emma Rose Meuteuil" or "Come and meet Allison Elizabeth Henderson."

3. On the next line, name the date the shower will be held, starting with the day of the week and then listing the calendar date, as in "Friday, May 21st." Baby showers can be held any time after the pregnancy is known (and even after the baby is born), but frequently they are timed to fall within the last month or two before the birth. Many people think it's nicely theatrical if the mother has a distinctive "baby bump" at the shower for everyone to admire.

4. On the next line, list the time the shower will be held. Showers can be held any time of day, depending on what the host(s) would like to do at them. Brunch showers are popular, as are lunch showers and early afternoon showers.

5. Next, list the address where the shower will take place. If the shower is being thrown at a restaurant, hall, or other special event area, put the name of the location on the line above the street address. Do not include the zip code. If guests are coming from out-of-town, or if the restaurant or hall has more than one location in your city, you should include the name of the city on the next line after the street address; otherwise, leave it off.

6. Last, include an R.S.V.P. number for guests to use when replying. R.S.V.P. (which comes from the French phrase "répondez s'il vous plaît" meaning "please respond") means that a guest must call the included number and let the host(s) know that she or he will be attending. Use the phrase "Please R.S.V.P." or simply" "R.S.V.P.", then list the number of the person who is hosting. The host may also wish to include his or her first (or first and last) name so that guests know to whom they will be speaking: "R.S.V.P. with Padma: [phone]."If you would prefer to assume that all guests will be attending unless they tell you otherwise, write "Regrets only" and then list the phone number.

Tips & Warnings

• Send invitations to everyone who is invited, including the parents-to-be, even if they already know all of the details about the shower. Shower invitations are often considered keepsakes, and everyone will probably appreciate having a copy to keep for their scrapbooks.

• There is some debate as to whether or not it is appropriate to list the places where the mother (or parents)-to-be is registered in the shower invitation. If you have a lot of older, more etiquette-conscious folks coming, you might want to gauge their reaction to such a move, either by asking trusted family members or by casually mentioning the question in conversation. If you think anyone would be affronted by such a move, don't do it, and instead spread the registry information by word-of-mouth. However, if you think the new parents and the shower guests won't mind, including shower registry information can be very helpful, especially if some guests aren't close family members or live far away. In fact, this is almost always the way it is done today. In this case, write the names of the stores where the parents are registered at the bottom of the invitation: "Tanya is registered at Target" or "John and his mommy are registered at Babies-R-Us."

Resources

• Cute poems and phrases for the beginning of a baby shower invitation