My wife and I are planning a large, picnic-type shower/party.
professorplum:
I am not hosting myself - my mother and sister-in-law will be hosting.
Color me confused. If your mother and SIL are hosting, why are you planning anything?
This is such a Bump thing...I've never hosted or had a shower that the MTB didn't have some say in things. Why are people always shocked about that?
Having a say and planning it all yourself are two different things. I have no problems with hosts asking the MTB her preferences. Some MTBs to have a lot of ideas of what they like, and if a host is aware of this and wants to include her opinions, fine. (Personally, the fewer decisions I had to make, the better, but to each her own).
Planning your own entire shower and listing someone else as the host simply for the sake of etiquette is pretty tacky. If you want to host a party, plan a meet the baby party and organize it however you want.
Have them put on the invite that this is a casual display/green shower and rather than wrapping gifts, please bring them unwrapped and they will be displayed on tables for everyone to view at their leisure. They can also use the back of the invite to write their name and "tag" their gift. Everyone hates the gift opening part of showers, guests included. This way, everyone gets spared.
Have them put on the invite that this is a casual display/green shower and rather than wrapping gifts, please bring them unwrapped and they will be displayed on tables for everyone to view at their leisure. They can also use the back of the invite to write their name and "tag" their gift. Everyone hates the gift opening part of showers, guests included. This way, everyone gets spared.
Unless you actually have strong feelings about the environment, a green shower is only a baby step less tacky than not opening the gifts at all. It pretty much says, "Sure, you took time and spent money to find a gift I'd enjoy, but I don't care enough to put forth 15 seconds of effort to tear off some wrapping paper and acknowledge your kindness."
And no, not everyone hates the gift opening part of showers. Some people love that part. Some people don't. I expect that a portion of any shower I attend will involve watching the guest of honor open the gifts. I look forward to seeing her enjoy the gifts I've picked out and see what others have picked.
It was suggested earlier that the OP simply make an announcement that the gifts will be opened at such-and-such a location and anyhone interested in watching can come see. This way people who DO hate it can continue socializing, and people who like it can see.
Re: gift opening for large party
Having a say and planning it all yourself are two different things. I have no problems with hosts asking the MTB her preferences. Some MTBs to have a lot of ideas of what they like, and if a host is aware of this and wants to include her opinions, fine. (Personally, the fewer decisions I had to make, the better, but to each her own).
Planning your own entire shower and listing someone else as the host simply for the sake of etiquette is pretty tacky. If you want to host a party, plan a meet the baby party and organize it however you want.
Have them put on the invite that this is a casual display/green shower and rather than wrapping gifts, please bring them unwrapped and they will be displayed on tables for everyone to view at their leisure. They can also use the back of the invite to write their name and "tag" their gift. Everyone hates the gift opening part of showers, guests included. This way, everyone gets spared.
Unless you actually have strong feelings about the environment, a green shower is only a baby step less tacky than not opening the gifts at all. It pretty much says, "Sure, you took time and spent money to find a gift I'd enjoy, but I don't care enough to put forth 15 seconds of effort to tear off some wrapping paper and acknowledge your kindness."
And no, not everyone hates the gift opening part of showers. Some people love that part. Some people don't. I expect that a portion of any shower I attend will involve watching the guest of honor open the gifts. I look forward to seeing her enjoy the gifts I've picked out and see what others have picked.
It was suggested earlier that the OP simply make an announcement that the gifts will be opened at such-and-such a location and anyhone interested in watching can come see. This way people who DO hate it can continue socializing, and people who like it can see.