Hostess Gift- still appropriate?

amylou252 · April 2011

My shower is being given by my older sister and my two close friends. One of these friends had a baby less than a year ago and we threw her a baby shower. The questions is, do I follow her example and not do hostess gifts? I don't want to make her feel bad but I also don't want to seem ungrateful to my shower hosts.

Thoughts?

KOscar · April 2011

I would never show-up to a shower without a hostess gift. It doesn't have to be big or fancy but something to say thank you should always be required. I'd still bring something even if your friend didn't give you anything. Hopefully she'd think it's a nice gesture.

jdm7 · April 2011

I'm not giving hostess gifts.

maiken1027 · April 2011

Hostess gifts are not common here, so I don't plan on doing any. MIL and one of my friends are throwing my shower. DH and I plan on taking my friend and her DH out to a nice dinner b/c they've done a ton for us this past year, including the shower. MIL's hostess gift will be her first grandbaby in July!

TristaD81 · April 2011

It's up to you. Do you normally give hostess gifts? Is it proper etiquette in your area/circle to give them (it's not for everyone)? If the answer is yes to either question, than I would go ahead and get a small hostess gift. Just because your friend didn't do doesn't mean you have to follow her example.

MilMom2B · April 2011

Since I'm the only one of my circle of family and friends in that region who has ever had a shower (all other friends in that area are single without children) and I didn't have wedding/bridal showers, I really don't know the etiquette. I know that my mom and bff are absolutely not expecting gifts. But, I still want to say thank you. So rather than a formal gift, I'm taking them out for a pedicure (something all 3 of use used to do anyway when I lived there). Maybe you can take your hostesses out for lunch or something.