Combining a shower without offending anyone

RamaOtster

I copied this over from the Baby Showers  

Trying to help figure this out so that all parties are happy (or as happy as possible...)

Is there a way to politely suggest that the two showers be combined? MIL is on the ball and already trying to plan and had apparently suggested she might try to combine but I don't know that it was ever suggested to my mother...just to DH.

My family is fairly small, and I only have a few close friends that are assocaited with my "home town" (there would be maybe 14 people total from my family including my aunts, cousins and friends).

So I guess my questions are:

1. Is it rude to suggest this? I don't want my MIL to feel like I am forcing my family on her...

2. How could I politely suggest it? (I would want to tell MIL right off that there are only about 14 people to come from my side of the family and would give her the list...that way my mom can't add random people. She had about 60+ people that I didn't even know at my wedding shower.)

I feel like I really missed an opportunity to ask when MIL asked when we wanted one but I hadn't really thought about it that much. I would also want to ask my mother ahead of time to make sure she would be okay with it being a "joint" shower.