Creating the Baby Shower Guest List |
| Date Added: March 09, 2007 12:00:04 PM |
| Author: |
| Category: Home & Family: Parenting: Baby Shower |
| No doubt friends and family will make it onto the expectant mother's baby shower guest list. After all, the whole purpose of a baby shower is to give those closest to the mother-to-be an opportunity to share in her upcoming (or recently delivered) joyous occasion! The host of the baby shower typically is the person who puts together the guest list. It's important, though that the host gets together with the expectant mother before finalizing the list. Having another set of eyes look at the guest list helps ensure that no guest gets left behind (and ensures that unwelcome guests don't get invited). And while the host likely is the person covering all the related expenses, it's better to add a few more guests (and absorb the additional costs) than it is to upset the mother-to-be by forgetting to invite someone. Of course, if the baby shower is going to be a surprise party, the host won't be able to review the guest list with the mother-to-be. In this situation, the host should still have someone close to the expectant mother review the list for the same reasons. Who to Invite? Immediate family and close friends always get included on the guest list. After that, it really depends on the circumstances. Oftentimes, more than one baby shower gets planned. This happens in instances where co-workers choose to organize a separate celebration, or when the family of the expectant father lives elsewhere and it makes more sense to hold a separate shower in that location so the expectant father's side of the family and his friends can attend and share the good news. Knowing how many showers are planned will help when working on the guest list. What about the Guys? Interestingly, it's becoming more popular to invite the guys to the baby shower. And equally interesting is that the guys really do have a good time while there. That's because when the guys get invited, the baby shower gets redefined. There is far less emphasis on game playing and the shower theme (or at least the color scheme) is more gender-neutral. When the men get invited, there are still gifts to open, but the party becomes more of an opportunity to get together casually to eat, share advice and catch up on old times. So go ahead and invite the guys. Just make sure the party is one they'll be comfortable attending. Special Invitation Issues People always wonder whether it's acceptable to invite someone who has recently experienced an unfortunate situation, such as finding out she or her partner is infertile or having recently suffered a miscarriage. While it may seem insensitive to invite a guest under these situations, the fact is that it's insensitive not to extend an invitation. The person best able to choose whether attending a baby shower is appropriate is the person who has suffered the misfortune, not the host or the guest of honor. Should the invited guest decline the invitation, the best thing to do is respect the guest's decision and offer understanding. |
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