Who Gets a Bridal Shower Invitation?

Planning a bridal shower is one of the most fun pre-wedding tasks, especially as the bride. Why? Because this is probably the only wedding-related occasion when all you'll really be asked to do is decide what to wear and who to invite. Although your mom, maid of honor, or another close friend or relative will likely handle the bulk of the planning, you do need to give the guest list some serious thought. To help you figure out who to invite to your shower, we rounded up questions and answers to the invitation conundrums most brides face.

Should I Invite Every Woman That's Coming to the Wedding?

Nope, it's not necessary to invite all the women on your wedding guest list. However, the opposite has to be true. It would be poor etiquette to invite someone to your shower and not to your wedding.

Who Makes Up the Majority of the Guests?

A bridal shower guest list will be mostly the bride's closest friends, bridal party, and family. If the groom's mom is helping with the organizing, she may ask to invite the groom's sisters and aunties, so you can count on including the groom's close family too.

Should I Invite the Groom's Close Girlfriends?

If you're also close with the groom's female friends, it's customary to include them.

Is the Groom Invited to the Bridal Shower?

Traditionally, showers are meant to be a party for the ladies only. However, it's become quite common for the groom show up at the end of a shower and make an appearance. Many grooms don't love this attention though, so it's definitely something to discuss openly as a couple.

Should I Send Invitations to People Who Live Out of Town?

It's nice to send invitations to your close friends and family who live out of town. They're unlikely to see this as a ploy for gifts, but rather a gesture meant to make them feel loved and involved.

What About Co-workers?

If they're invited to the wedding and you consider them close enough friends to hang with outside of work, then go ahead and send an invitation their way.