Are you feeling the burn of anticipation and excitement for your upcoming baby shower? Well, you're not alone! Preparing a grand baby shower can be an amazing experience nestled in surprises, colors, gifts and games. But let's face it – one major thing that can lead to disaster would be bad timing on when you send out those adorable invitations. Keep reading to learn some essential tips that will make sure all the right people show up.
The Rule of Thumb
So what’s the best time frame for sending out baby shower invitations? While many websites suggest doctors’ orders or 'two months prior recommended,' there's really no formula perfect enough because every case is unique. However, as a rule of thumb though personal preference should always come first, aiming between six to eight weeks before your due date is just ideal.
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To Snail Mail or Ignore It?
For some people snail mail might sound outdated but trust me it's still such a courteous touch especially when inviting older relatives who don't do well with electronic forms e.g mailing addresses ^^1^^and secondly digital invites have higher chances of being deemed spam so we won't want our guests missing out now would we?
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A Special Case: Who Is Hosting The Party?
Will the host(s) (the person/persons responsible for organizing and coordinating things) accept responsibility for sending out their own invites? It is crucial you communicate from planning stages about this detail if more than one person shares hosting duties so nobody gets mistaken if saved-the-date reminders become non existent at worse.
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Life Happens!
Let us assume life happens – whether it’s pregnancy complications resulting into bed rest or other unexpected turns; at any point, rescheduling cannot be overlooked depending on how far behind schedule preparations and arrangements are coming as time goes by.
No Need to Rush - Early Bird Doesn't Always Catch the Worm
Now there's no need to start panicking and inviting everybody as soon as you find out about your pregnancy; of course the first trimester is a little too early ^^2^^. Not only do you have other priorities weighing down but it’s also important for personal health reasons that we take things slow in this period so we don’t overwork ourselves; generally, moms tend to feel energized during their actual second trimester through midway third before they begin feeling exhaustion creeping up on them again. - ### Every Pregnant Woman Is Unique
Do note though that second-trimester window can be different for every mom-to-be depending on hormonal changes and symptoms hence she'll know what works best!
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Baby Wheels Rolling If Premature,
So if baby arrives prematurely or with medical complications after invites have been mailed, then planning needs re-evaluated ^3^and remailed notices included with new date(s) specified.
Deadline Dilemmas: Handling Late Replies
Now let’s talk deadlines! Unfortunately not all guests will reply promptly to RSVP requests especially since life happens and careful planning could still be hectic. This leads us into potential problems arising at deciding whether or not final invitation-dates can accommodate late replies:
How To go About That?
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Begin sending save-the-datecards (either via snail mail or emails) six months ahead of due date provided venue/party details are confirmed. Usually sent around the four-month mark of pregnancy when expecting mother has an idea of her delivery window). This guarantees everyone you intended inviting keeps party-day available regardless of formal invite response outcomes.
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Set RSVP deadline three weeks before proposed shower day/since one week allotted then making any last-minute tweaks i.e meal arrangements, activities etc., creating a stress-free planning experience. This deadline doesn’t accommodate individual guests advice so, as the host(s), you'll need to get in touch with them and ensure they've received their invites!
In Conclusion
We hope this article has guided you towards less stressful party planing by ensuring all factors have been considered when sending out baby shower invitations! Asides from humorous jokes around baby bumps for your guest book i.e "you thought I had a tummy!" it’s important we avoid tardiness paralysis, friendzoning grandma for good communication or doomed invite outcomes.
Keep things simple but whimsical and remember- whether now or later – that message should always feature beautifully wrapped gifts of excitement anticipating the newest arrival whatsoever.
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1: No deliberate misuse; hence anonymous entry 2 : https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-life/maternity-fashion/showers-and-gifts-to-buy-during-pregnancies/ 3 : Pregnant Chicken blog post.