Simple wording
Please join us for a baby shower. We’ll have brunch on Saturday, October 17, from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Please reply by October 3.
State an end time as well as a start time: it helps guests plan childcare and travel, and it keeps the schedule honest. A time range also stops the shower from quietly running an hour long.
Couples’ shower
Come celebrate the parents-to-be before their new baby arrives. Partners and children are welcome. Lunch starts at noon, with cake around 1:30 PM. Please reply with the number of adults and children coming.
Say plainly that partners and children are welcome, and ask for the number of adults and children in each reply so food and seating match reality.
Baby sprinkle
We’re gathering for lunch to celebrate Amina and the newest member of her family. Your company is the gift. If you would still like to bring something, the family could use diapers in sizes 2 and up.
For a second or third baby, keep the gathering small and the gift expectations light. Naming one practical need gives guests direction without a full registry.
No gifts
No gifts, please. Come have lunch and spend time with the parents before the baby arrives.
Say it once, plainly, and mean it. If guests keep asking, the host can suggest an alternative privately rather than reopening the question in the invitation.
After the baby arrives
Meet the new baby and have coffee with the family. Drop in between 2:00 and 4:00 PM. Please postpone your visit if you are feeling unwell.
Post-baby gatherings should be short and drop-in, with a firm end time because newborns have short comfortable windows. Asking anyone feeling unwell to wait is standard and protects the baby.
Add the practical lines
- Parking, entrance, or apartment instructions
- Whether children and partners are welcome
- Whether food is a meal or light refreshments
- Anything guests should bring, such as a book with a message instead of a card
- The host’s phone number for questions
- Whether the venue is step-free and easy to reach