Instead of a single shower that you invited a 100 people to, you could have
had 3 showers -- one for dh's side of the family, one for your side of the
family, and one for close friends. That way you would have had about 30
people at each shower, which is still a large number but much more
reasonable.

I agree with Ericka. There is no way to dictate that people not wrap their
presents because it would be more convenient for you. It's like asking them
to self address their own Thank You cards. Heck, why not ask them to write
them too.
--

Jamie
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Taylor Marlys -- 01/03/03
Addison Grace -- 09/30/04

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"HELP!!" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the reply Ericka. I know it sounds funny, but this
monstrosity is intimate. We are both from large families and have 20
aunts & uncles and 60+ first cousins. Include a very trimmed down
list of close friends and you get a 100+ guest shower, all of which
expect to be invited.

On Jun 19, 8:32 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:
HELP!! wrote:
We are expecting 100+ guests at our baby shower. Is their a
polite, acceptable way to ask that gifts not be wrapped?

No. Who planned this monstrosity of a shower anyway?
At some point, you've made your bed and you lie in it. I just
don't see any way that you can politely say to people, "All
those gifts you spent your hard earned time and money on are
just too much trouble for us to open, so please don't bother
to wrap them." No matter how you phrase it, that's how it's
likely to come across.

We we
thinking a gift table to display the gifts, so people can view as they
please throughout the shower. We would also spend a half hour or so
to officially recognize the gifts.

We just want to avoid a 2 hour gift opening session. It won't be fun
for the guests or us!!

Because a shower is the only type of adult party where
guests are required to bring gifts, it confers special obligations
on the guests of honor and on the people who plan the shower
to avoid looking like a greedy gift-grub. That's why people are
not allowed to throw themselves or close relatives showers, shower
guests are supposed to be very close friends, and the gifts are
supposed to be small, almost token gifts. You've stretched
things by having a shower this big, but you still have to act as
if this the gathering of intimate friends it ought to be.
One possibility for the shower is that you plan a set
of activities for the guests so that they're enjoying themselves,
and you gather small groups of guests together throughout the
party and open their gifts. You will be kept busy with the
gift opening, but at least your guests won't be tied down to
it and you'll be able to provide some of that more personal
attention to each guest and the gift they chose for you.

Best wishes,
Ericka