Baby shower invitation wording: 12 examples

What to include

A shower invitation is a party invitation with a guest of honor, or two. Seven details make it complete.

• Who it’s forThe mom-to-be by name, or both parents-to-be for a couples’ shower: “honoring Sarah Johnson” or “honoring Sarah and Michael Johnson.” Use the name her friends know her by.
• Who’s hostingA “Hosted by” line with the hosts’ names, so guests know whose party it is. Traditionally a friend hosted; today a mother, sister or mother-in-law often hosts too, and that’s fine.
• When, with an end timeThe date and a start and end time. Showers usually run two to three hours, and an end time helps guests plan the rest of their day.
• WhereThe place and its full address. For a shower at someone’s house, “At the home of Jessica Lee,” then the street address.
• Who to RSVP to, and by whenReplies go to the host, not to the mom-to-be. Set the date about two weeks before the shower, so the host can plan the food and the seating.
• The registryOne line saying where the parents-to-be are registered. A registry line is widely accepted on a shower invitation, because guests come with gifts.
• Anything specialA theme, a brunch, “bring a book instead of a card” or a diaper raffle: one short line each, at the bottom.

Baby shower invitation wording examples

Change the names, places and dates to your own. The registry and extra lines go at the end, after the RSVP.

Baby shower invitations

Pick a design and add the mom-to-be or parents-to-be, the hosts, the time and the place.

Common mistakes

• Replies going to the mom-to-beThe host plans the food and the seating, so replies go to the host. Put the host’s name and phone number on the RSVP line.
• No end timeWithout one, guests can’t tell whether to plan for an hour or the whole afternoon. Two to three hours is typical for a shower.
• Sharing news the parents haven’t sharedAsk the parents-to-be before the invitation says “It’s a girl” or prints the baby’s name. Some keep both to themselves until the birth.
• Not saying whether partners are invitedIf partners are welcome, say “couples’ shower” or “coed shower” on the card. Otherwise guests may assume it’s a traditional shower and come alone.
• A surprise that isn’t markedFor a surprise shower, say so at the top and give guests a time to arrive before the guest of honor. And keep her phone number off the RSVP line.
• Too many registriesOne or two registries are plenty. Beyond that, the card starts to read like a shopping list.

When to send baby shower invitations

Send them four to six weeks before the shower, and ask for replies about two weeks before it.

Showers are usually held in the last two months before the due date, while the mom-to-be still feels up to a party and there’s still time to set up the nursery. A “sip and see,” held after the birth so friends can meet the baby, is another option.

Who hosts a baby shower?

Traditionally a close friend hosted, because a shower thrown by the family could look like asking for gifts. That rule has relaxed: today mothers, sisters and mothers-in-law host too, often together with friends.

Name every host in one “Hosted by” line. Coworkers can host an office shower: “Hosted by the marketing team.”

On our cards, the hosts go in the optional Hosts field, and the guest of honor in the field for the mom-to-be or parents-to-be.

Registry lines and gift requests

Keep the registry to one line: “Sarah is registered at Target” or “Registered at Babylist.”

Common extras, one line each: “Please bring a children’s book, signed inside, instead of a card,” or “Bring a pack of diapers for a chance to win our diaper raffle.”

On our cards, the Registry field prints one line, “Registry: Babylist,” so type only the store or a link there. A full sentence, and every other extra, goes in the Other details field, worded exactly as you want it on the card.

Couples’ showers, sprinkles and twins

A couples’ or coed shower honors both parents-to-be, and partners and friends are invited. Name both parents and say “couples’ shower” on the card, as in the examples above.

A sprinkle is a smaller, lighter shower for a second or later baby, when the family already has most of the gear. The invitation reads like a shower invitation, often with a note that diapers and wipes are welcome.

For twins, say so: “honoring Emily and David Clark and the twins on the way.” For an adoption, give the child’s age if the child isn’t a newborn, so the gifts fit: “as they welcome home their son, Leo, age two.”

Thank-you notes after the shower

The mom-to-be or parents-to-be send a thank-you note for every gift, ideally within a few weeks, and before the baby arrives if they can. Name the gift and say how you’ll use it.

The hosts deserve a note of their own, and a small gift if you like.

Making the invitation with us

Choose a baby shower design and type in the mom-to-be or parents-to-be, the hosts, the date, the start and end time, and the place. The RSVP step writes the reply line for you: “Please RSVP by February 20, 2027 to Jessica.” Put the store in the Registry field and any extras under Other details, or ask our design assistant to fit your own words onto the card.

You see a proof of both sides before you pay. The examples on this page are free to copy, wherever you make your invitations.

Questions and answers