etiquette help please

hoping you ladies can help. my fi has an employee who started at his company/department about a month ago. this employee is having a baby shower next month and invited my fi & i. we aren't going to be able to go b/c we have plans. and, quite frankly, even if we didn't we wouldn't go b/c we know this guy from a hole in the wall.

what's the etiquette as far as gift? is it like a wedding where we need to send something even if we're not going? seems kind of ridiculous to me considering fi barely knows this guy (of course, if it's the polite thing to do we'll suck it up and send something).

thanks!

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Posted by dleeny

it is the polite thing to send a gift, even if it's a small one.

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I agree

Usually an invitation (to a party where gifts are given) requires a gift (according to Emily Post). She says that a wedding or birth announcement does not require a gift, but an invitation to the party does. I would definitely give something small, or have your FI go in with other co-workers that were invited.

I think it's a little odd that your FI was invited since he barely knows these people(perhaps they're fishing for gifts), but a small gift would definitely be the polite thing to do and very nice of you. Keep in mind that you can get a really nice outfit for a baby for around $20...

HTH!