5 Tips for Throwing a Successful Card Shower

 

If you're thinking about planning a card shower for a special occasion, here are 5 practical tips to make your event successful.

 When choosing your "guest list", don't be picky! Invite every single person that your card shower recipient knows.  You will be shocked at how many people, even if not in touch anymore, will want to be a part of your loved one's special day. If you can find an address, send them a card request! 

The more people you invite, the better your card turnout will be. Having a sizable bundle of cards from people of all phases of life will be a welcome, heartfelt surprise for your loved one!  Don't just stick to close family and friends.  Invite current and past coworkers, old friends, friends of children, neighbors, social acquaintances, club members, their church community, and anyone else you can think of.  One of the best things about a card shower is that there is very little pressure on guests and many people will be more than happy to complete the easy task of mailing a card!

This one is important! Make sure to specify a "mail by" date on your invitation so people know when to have their card in the mail. In the case of event card showers, like birthdays and anniversaries, to include the date of the occasion as well. This way, if someone does miss the card shower, they can still send their well wishes on or after the day without ruining the surprise.  When choosing a "mail by" date, do give yourself plenty of wiggle room for those late cards to get to you! 

The hardest part of planning a card shower is gathering addresses of those you want to include. You may even need to be super stealthy and steal your loved one's address book! Even then, there will be some people that you just can't find a mailing address for. Ordering a digital copy of the invitation gives you the flexibility to send your card request by email, text, or even social media. 

Choosing to keep your card shower a secret from the recipient really makes for a wonderful surprise gift on their special day.  You certainly don't have to, but I would 10/10 recommend giving your loved one the experience of a surprise shower by mail.  Choose one person to be the card collector and put their mailing address on the invitation. You can also include an email address if you're willing to print out the messages to include. Collect the cards as you receive them and keep them in a safe place. As the special day approaches, find, or make, an appropriate size box to gift the cards in. Beware! You may need a much bigger box than you think! I recently threw a milestone birthday card shower for a loved one, and I was overwhelmed with the response. People sent in not only cards, but also large mailing bags, manilla envelopes, and even packages.

Gifting a scrapbook along with all of the cards is a great way to turn an amazing gift into a cherished keepsake. Let your loved one turn their notes into a scrapbook album they can easily flip through again and again when they want to remember the special occasion!  If they are not crafty, offer to do it for them as part of your gift. I promise you, it truly will be a gift that keeps on giving. 

I hope these tips help you feel confident and inspired to go ahead and throw your loved one a card shower! I can't tell you enough what a wonderful gift it is to hear from all of the people who've played a part in your life.  Designing invitations for card showers always brings a smile to my face thinking of the people who will be given the most meaningful gift of all on their special day.  If you'd like to check out my card shower invites for ordering or inspiration, here's a link! 
Happy Planning!