Which guests to invite to showers?

ladybug7485

First let me just get out of the way...I know that people can only be invited to showers that are invited to the wedding
That being said, I'm having 2 showers (basically one put on by each family). They are both asking me for some idea from the guest list of who I would want at each shower. How did you decide who is invited to the showers? I don't think that it's every female guest but if not was there a way that you narrowed it down? The main type of guest I'm wondering about are friends. Just wondering how you went about this! TIA!

Annie_Warbucks

I am just doing family members and members of the wedding party at the bridal showers. I am having one that is FMIL friends/family with my mom's side of the family, and then one that is just my dad's side of the family since it is huge. And probably invite the bridesmaids to both so they can pick either to come to. 

 I know my girlfriends are planning a bachelorette party in my honor so I figured that would be the event they can attend, in lieu of a bridal shower. 

seventiespop

I invited friends who I would normally hang out with. I also invited FI's female friends that I knew as well and would feel comfortable talking to without FI there. 

I was invited to a bachelorette party last year of a girl I had only met a few times and never really spoke with on a one-on-one basis (she was marrying FI's friend); I felt obligated to go and it was a little awkward because I didn't really know any of the other guests (side note: later at her wedding, the Bride exclaimed, "wow, I haven't seen you since last year!" even though her bachelorette party was less than two months before her wedding . . . .) I would think a shower would be even worse since there aren't as many distractions as there are at a bachelorette party.

Albanesepartyof2

I am inviting close female family friends, my own friends and females in the family only. I gather this amount will end up being 50-75 attendees. (I am having a larger wedding though so it's an appropriate ratio). I did not invite co-workers, FI's co-workers or anyone that really doesn't know much about me personally. With  300 people on the guest list, I am defintiely keeping the shower a tad bit more intimate.

lharri12

I've never been to a bridal shower with more than 30 guests, and that even seemed large to me.  My FMIL is planning a shower for me, and we will invite my FI's female family members, my bridesmaids, and a few of my close friends.  I'm sure I will end up having a shower in my hometown with my female family members.  Definitely not inviting every female guest, only people I know well.  Keep in mind that people bring gifts to your shower, so if you invite people you don't know very well, it will seem gift-grabby.

kthame

My Mom and MOH invited family and close friends only. Our shower is this Saturday, and you wouldn't believe the number of people (that weren't invited) that have called my mom to ask if there will be a shower.

mandybear7

Close family and friends. I am also not inviting OOT aunts and cousins because I don't want to appear like I am begging for gifts.

sandra78

we had family, and also any friend that we regularly talk to and hang out iwth. i didnt feel right having the "obligatory invitees" be invited to a separate gift giving party and having to accept a gift from someone i dont talk to all that often.