[Wedding Queen and MOG]

I know we don't send shower invitations to every woman on the wedding guest list. So, how do we determine who gets invited? There are relatives who live a distance, some live in another country.

[Etiquette Now]

Hello there,

We would invite only those very close to the couple. No need to invite all family members just because they are close to the parents. Everyone can meet and greet at the reception or another type of event.

For those who live a great distance, it is best not to send an invitation, although it isn't wrong to do so. Many times we will just because this person is the grandmother or favorite aunt. But, when we do, it could appear as if we are fishing for gifts while knowing that the person won't be able to attend.

Best wishes,

[Etiquette1]

This can depend on a couple of different things, for example, how many different showers are being held for the bride and who is hosting the shower. For example, a bride's co-workers may host a shower for her and invite those closest to her at her workplace. An aunt may host a shower and that shower would include the family members closest to the bride and groom living locally. A couple who is a friend of the bride and groom may host a couples shower and simply invite several other close friends/couples to the bride and groom. I tend to see bride's having multiple showers that include different groups, although this is certainly not the case for everyone. If just having one bridal shower, the host should work with the bride to determine a reasonable guest list of the women she feels she is closest to.

[Etiquette Now]

True, and thank you for mentioning the couple's shower and workplace shower. I completely forgot to mention it . [:)] But, family shouldn't really host a shower, even though we know that they sometimes do (viewed as self-serving, especially since the shower means "extra" gifts). And, there should be no more than 2 showers, excluding the workplace shower (these guest do not have to be invited to the wedding).