Hi all! I've been lurking on this board for a few months, and I have a question I haven't quite seen answered. (Sorry for the wall of text. CN at the bottom if you prefer to skip to it!)
I'm my sister's MOH. Our aunt is hosting a shower for her next month, and my sister is insistant that she does not want to open gifts at the party. She was recently thrown a small shower at work, and was embarrassed when she did not know what one of the gifts was and one of her 5th grade students corrected her in front of all the guests. She is very hesitant to repeat this.
She is also concerned because of the amount of gifts she will likely receive. We expect about 65 guests, so the gift opening would take a large chunk of time and she will be uncomfortable being directly in the spotlight for so long as she is very shy.
Is there a way for her to avoid this tradition without being rude? Is there anything my cousins (the other bridesmaids) and I can do to speed up the process or lessen her anxiety about the process? This is the first wedding being bridesmaids for all of us, and we all want to make sure that my sister remembers her shower as a fun party celebrating her marriage rather than a stress-inducing incident. However, we also do not want to be rude to the guests. My mother and aunt are insistant that she open the gifts at the party, but if there is a way to lessen my sisters discomfort while avoiding rudeness, I would really appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
CN: My sister is anxious about opening gifts at her bridal shower. Is there an ettiquette-appropriate way to avoid this?