Custom Baby Shower Invitations

Wording Custom Baby Shower Invitations

Start with the essentials: whose shower it is, the date and time, the full address and how to reply, with a reply-by date. Many hosts add the baby's due month, a theme or dress code and a note about gifts, such as a registry link or a request for books instead of cards. Keep the main lines short and let the design breathe; extra details can go on the back or on an insert.

Tone varies widely. Some hosts like a gentle, traditional line, others a playful pun, and plenty keep it simple and warm. Whatever you choose, read the wording aloud before approving the proof; it is the easiest way to spot a missing word or a time that appears twice.

If the shower is a surprise, say so clearly near the top, and give guests a contact who is not the parent-to-be. Send the wording through our custom quote request form and we set it in a layout for the proof.

Sizes and Card Stocks

A5 and A6 are the most common sizes. A5 gives a generous canvas for illustrations and longer wording; A6 is neat, economical to post and fits easily in a handbag. Square invitations around 148 mm catch the eye in the post but can cost more to send, so check postage before you decide.

Card weight affects the feel more than anything else. A heavy, smooth card feels luxurious and keeps colours bright. Textured stocks with a linen or felt finish suit watercolour designs and soft palettes. Kraft card gives a natural, relaxed look that pairs well with botanical illustrations and garden parties.

If you plan to hand-letter guest names on the front, choose an uncoated stock. Laminated and very smooth cards can make ink smear or bead, whereas uncoated card takes a fine pen cleanly and dries quickly. If you cannot decide between stocks, the card weights and textures explained guide describes how each one feels.

Design Ideas That Suit the Day

Soft watercolours, small animal illustrations, botanical sprigs and hot air balloons are long-standing favourites, but there are no rules. Bold colour blocks, hand-lettered names and modern minimal layouts look striking and photograph well when guests share them. If the parents are keeping the baby's sex a surprise, neutral palettes of sage, sand, butter yellow and soft grey avoid giving anything away.

Finishes add a special touch. Gold or rose gold foil on the name, a soft-touch laminate on folded cards or a rounded corner make the invitation feel considered. Printed envelope liners or a matching sticker seal tie the set together.

If the host has a theme, such as a tea party or picnic, we can carry its colours and motifs across the invitation, reply card and envelope.

Planning the Timeline

Most hosts send invitations four to six weeks before the shower. That gives guests time to plan, arrange travel and buy a gift, and it leaves room for late replies. Work backwards from the posting date, allowing time for design, a proof check, printing, delivery and addressing.

Order a few spares. Somebody always gets added to the list, an address turns out to be wrong or a card gets smudged while writing, and a handful of extras also make lovely keepsakes for the parents-to-be.

Guests travelling from further away need longer to arrange travel, so post their cards first. A digital copy of the same design can follow by email for anyone who prefers to reply online. The same timeline applies to engagement invitations and reply cards, which hosts often plan at the same time.

Read the Proof Aloud Before You Approve It

Invitations fail on tiny details, so the ordering tip here is about the proof rather than the card. When it arrives, read every line aloud: the date against a calendar, the postcode against a map, the reply-by date against your own diary, and the surname spelling against a message from the parents. Approve only when all four match. Choose the stock before the design if guest names will be hand-written, because uncoated card and foil names rarely sit well together.

Send the wording, the guest count plus a handful of spares, the size and any photos or colours you like, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day. The proof is free, printing takes 4–7 working days once you approve it, and tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses is free and takes 2–3 working days, which fits the usual six-week send-out if you order about eight weeks before the party. Cards from £0.25 each, with small runs quoted per job, and any misprinted cards reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Thank-you notes afterwards can come from the same artwork as printed stationery for the thank-you notes.