Q & A: Who Do I Invite to Which Shower?

Photo Source: Beach Bungalow 8

Don't you wish you could be were this picture was taken? The weather in South Texas has not been pleasant to say the least but it is a bit chilly today. I love cold weather. It gives me a reason to wear a scarf. This picture is where my head is today. Sigh. I encourage each of you to take a minute and think about one thing you are thankful for. Ready, Go! Do you have that thing in mind? If it is a friend, let them know. If it is your job, tell your boss thank you. If it is an object, treat it extra carefully. I came across a quote recently that made me really appreciate all I have been blessed with and pushed me to work for more. William Arthur Ward said, "Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." Just think of all the blessings around you. Friends, do more of what makes you happy and be thankful for moments in between.

Who is ready for today's question and answer session? Me! Pick me! I can honestly say that I have never been asked this question from a bride before. Originally I was going to keep these short but folks I have a lot to say so let's get to it.

Q. Who do I invite to which shower?

A. The easiest way I know how to address this question is to break down each group of people by category. One thing that I have stressed from the beginning for any planning bride is to get that guest list started. Yes, not everyone on the list will be invited or they may but getting those addresses together is a must. Read more on that here. When it comes to shower time, you can have those addresses completed and ready to send the hostesses of the party. You can also print the list off for your bridesmaids to keep track of who gives you what. I also have suggested this before (read about it here and here) but you can also ask guests when signing in to address an envelope with their address. It eliminates one step for you when it comes time to write thank you notes.

What if you aren't sure how many showers you are going to have? That is okay. With time you will be 100% sure. I promise people will want to throw you a shower. I actually worried about this. By the end of the shower season, I had been blessed with 6 showers! It amazes me how much people care and want to celebrate your upcoming wedding.

Wedding Party/Bridesmaids - This one is your discretion. I invited my bridesmaid to every single shower that I had. With that being said, I also let them know before the shower season hit that I would invite them to all of them but only expected them to make it to one shower and/or the bachelorette party. I had bridesmaids all over the place and being the rockstars that they are they each made it to multiple shower and the bach throw down. Yeah, we threw down. With this group it is easy to let them know your expectations ahead of time.  More than likely your bridesmaids will help in hosting at least one or two showers. Be honest with them and they will appreciate it.

Family - This one can be a little tougher just because you do not want to hurt anyone's feelings or make them think they have to get you a gift. My best piece of advice for this is to invite your families to the hometown showers. For example, if you and your groom grew up in different cities invite your family to your hometown shower and the groom's family to the shower in his town. You can always invite your family to multiple showers but I usually say the rule of thumb minus your parents is to invite someone to only one shower. I did have family come in to town from miles away so when they came down they attended the showers that fell on that weekend.

Friends - Like I have already mentioned, I invited friends based on their location to each shower but only one time. Friends, especially newly married brides, give the most practical gifts. They know exactly what you need. I did have one shower where I invited all my close girlfriends and sorority sisters. This helped everyone get to know each other or reunite with faces they hadn't seen in a long time.

With all this being said, DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT invite someone to a shower and then not invite them to your wedding. It is a big bridal no-no. I have had multiple people mention this to me in that they were invited to a shower, took a gift, hugged the bride but then didn't receive an invitation to their wedding. Think about it. Would you want to spend money on someone then not get an invite to the reason you even gave them the gift to begin with? I hate to say it friends but that is tacky. T-acky.

I hope that all of this jib jab helps point you in the right direction. I can honestly say that showers were a highlight for me. The guest lists for each shower were easy to make. I also asked both my mom and mother-in-law to add to any shower list that they felt needed it. Both were a big help!

At each shower, smile, hug necks, meet new faces and remember these people love you. They want to celebrate you! I will be back in a bit with the best Love Song Friday, hands down!