Shower Size

[Pilsy]

I read on here (or MM - can't remember) recently a comment about 9 being a small shower.  And then someone disputing that.  

Not trying to flame a fire, but I'm curious to hear more opinions.  Are there regional norms?  No norms at all?  



If you had a shower, how many people attended?  How many people were invited?  

What's the smallest shower you've ever attended (excluding a work shower)?    

The largest?  

And where in the country do you live?  A general region is fine if you don't want to list your city/state.  

[soozy87]

I had a shower that was only 5 people. I had others that were 30ish people.

[Pilsy]

I'm from Maine but live near Boston now.

Home showers and smaller guest lists are more popular up north. Around here, I've seen it all: 70 - 80 in the clubhouse at an apartment complex, 10 to 40 at a nice restaurant, and home showers of various sizes (though fewer of these).


ETA: My own shower isn't until March, and I haven't made a guest list yet.  

[Deleted]

I had two - one in my hometown and one where I live now. Both were around 25 people.

ETA I live below the Mason-Dixon Line.

[geneg]

My only baby shower was four people including myself (my mom and my sis and the girl I was living with). I was moving the next weekend, most of my friends worked on the only weekend my OOT family could be there, etc. We had a high tea at a local country club and it was awesome.

[Stingyshark]

40 invited, 26 attended. In florida

[Pilsy]

Dec 21, 2013 18:40:17 GMT -5 @acaawesome said:

ETA I live below the Mason-Dixon Line.

I've wondered!   But I had you pegged as a New Englander.  

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2013 18:52:43 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

Dec 21, 2013 18:40:17 GMT -5 @acaawesome said:

ETA I live below the Mason-Dixon Line.

I've wondered!   But I had you pegged as a New Englander.  

I'm flattered! I do not take pride in my location. lol

[heygrey]

I'm not sure how many were invited (~60?), but there were 40-45 at my shower in northern pa. this was family and friends from the church I grew up attending. typical for what I know.

[h]

I had three showers:

Friend shower in TX with about 25 in attendance
Work shower in TX with about 40 in attendance
Hometown shower in OK with about 80 in attendance

I don't think I have ever been to a wedding or baby shower with less than 20 guests, and 75 guests is not uncommon.

[212]

Not sure how many were invited (hostesses did everything), but 40ish attended my Boston shower and 50ish attended my NYC one.

We'd been together 12 years pre-baby. We've accumulated a lot a people!

[stealthmom]

I don't think there are regional norms so much as friend\family norms.

I was the one who had a 9 person shower. Actually it was 7 plus me. And I still say that's a small party. My other showers we're around 25 one of which was a work shower.

[irish]

The only shower that is the norm over here is the type you stand under to clean yourself!
Saying that, I had one thrown for me for dd1. Thrown by my sister and a SIL. Also in attendance were my mum, aunt, MIL and another 3 SILs (2 of dh's sisters, 2 of my brothers wives). Very low key and not about gifts at all. More a get together and chat. It was a surprise cos a) I'd never been to one before and b) they organised it behind my back (dh knew about it - I nearly cancelled the movie plans cos I was so tired...)

[ryry]

I'm in Boston, and my baby shower was probably 30 people, co-ed, at my dads house. It was pretty much my family and one friend. Our wedding shower was 50 people, also co-ed, at a restaurant.

Honestly, my dad was the driving force behind both parties, and he doesn't get shower etiquette at all. I don't think mine were the norm at all.

[gibbinator]

I had 2 wedding and 2 baby showers and there were 9-10 women at each. They were a nice intimate size but I don't think 9 is tiny. Especially with the kids running about

[cincodemayo]

I live in MN and I've never been to a huge shower outside of someone's home, that I can remember.

I had a shower with 30 invited, maybe 20 attended?

I hosted a shower for my BFF once that had the 2 moms, 3 friends and a cousin, so I suppose that's the smallest I've been to.

[justjen]

Most of the ones I go to are 30-50 people. NNJ.

[lmb5109]

If you had a shower, how many people attended? I had two. 6 & 20
How many people were invited? 10 & 35
What's the smallest shower you've ever attended (excluding a work shower)? Probably my first shower with the 6 people
The largest? 50
And where in the country do you live? Chicago

[ECB]

Every wedding or baby shower that I've been to has probably been around 30 people (meaning 25 - 35 people). Huge showers aren't done in my circle. Or maybe none of us have huge families!

[changedname]

Dec 21, 2013 18:45:03 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

I'm in Ontario. My shower had about 20 invitees and 14 attendees. I thought it was smallish, because it included friends and family but it was a perfect size for me. Most of the showers I've attended have been max 20-30 people, in someone's home, but often it's the family shower or the friend shower, with another separate shower with more people at a separate time.

  Mine will be basically this. Inviting 20 and guessing around 12-15 will come. This is my "friends" shower. The family shower will be after the baby is born because of timing and I would guess there will be around 12-15 again.

The week after my shower, I'm going to a friend's which is at a banquet hall with 120 people (they are italian). It's basically a full on wedding reception.

EDIT: I also live in Ontario.

[egishere]

Most I go to are in the 15-30 people range I would say and held at someone's home. One of my showers had 20ish people and the other probably 12 or so. This was when I lived in the south.

[Jalapeñomel]

I've never been to a shower with more than 20 people, and that was a coed shower.

[Deleted]

My shower was about 40 people. It was co-ed though and was thrown by some work friends. It was really more of a party- at night, co ed, with spouses, lots of booze etc. My closest friends from outside of work came too.

I live in the Boston area.

I have been to small and large 80+ people showers.

[kdubs923]

My bridal shower was about 50 people in a restaurant. And my baby shower was about 60 (co-ed) held at my ILs house.

Both felt huge while being the center of attention, but it's the norm for my circle of friends & family. I really don't see how we could have cut the list, once you have moms, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and close friends on both sides. I live in RI.

[Deleted]

In Kansas City, as small as 5 attendees, as big as 30?

The one I went to yesterday had 15 attendees but it would have been closer to 20 if not for the weather.

[drloretta]

I lived in PA at the time, and the shower was DH's extended family (and my parents) after DD was born/placed with us. I think there were about 30 people, which I consider medium to large-ish. Largest I've been to (and I haven't been to many) is probably 30. Smallest is probably around 15. I have never paid attention to regional norms (my family is in CA and I've been to a couple of them there) so I have no idea what's considered "normal"

[redheadbaker]

Dec 21, 2013 18:20:07 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

I read on here (or MM - can't remember) recently a comment about 9 being a small shower.  And then someone disputing that.  

Not trying to flame a fire, but I'm curious to hear more opinions.  Are there regional norms?  No norms at all?  



If you had a shower, how many people attended?  How many people were invited?  

What's the smallest shower you've ever attended (excluding a work shower)?    

The largest?  

And where in the country do you live?  A general region is fine if you don't want to list your city/state.  

There were about 50 people at my shower, which I felt was huge. But my mom and FMIL co-hosted. FMIL was going through chemo at the time, and didn't feel up to hosting a shower for S.O.'s side all on her own. I'm not sure how many were invited total. 

Smallest shower I ever attended ... 12 people, I think? 

Largest was my own. Aside from that, my ex-SIL's had about 30 people. 

I'm in the U.S., in Pennsylvania. 

[Deleted]

I think this is a more cultural thing because, in my culture, we typically celebrate the baby at their one month birthday and that is when the relatives and the family friends come out with gifts....never before. Showers are a more Americanized thing so just friends our age attend. I think there will be about 20 people at mine. My mom and mil were not even invited.