Pregnancy is an emotional adventure filled with thrilling milestone moments, including finding out you’re pregnant, sharing the exciting news with your partner and then announcing it to the world. Among the most exciting milestone moments of pregnancy is finding out whether you’re having a little boy or a little girl.
More and more parents are sharing that moment with their friends and family by planning a gender reveal party — and they’re getting really creative about it! What was once a simple update from the doctor has turned into a full-blown party phenomenon.
There are all kinds of ways to do a gender reveal party, ranging from subtle to theatrical. No matter which you prefer, follow our checklist to make sure your gender reveal is a total success.
YOUR GENDER REVEAL PARTY CHECKLIST
1. Decide on a date.
This part can be tricky, since most couples want to stay in the dark about the gender until the party and rely on a friend or relative to arrange the final reveal. Make sure you choose a party date that’s close to the day your doctor determines the gender so you won’t have to wait long.
2. Schedule an ultrasound.
Make sure your ultrasound technician is very clear that he or she shouldn’t immediately share the gender of your child with you. Instead, ask them to clearly write “boy” or “girl” on a piece of paper and place it inside a sealed envelope that you can share with a trusted friend or family member (who’s good at keeping a secret!) to make the necessary arrangements for the gender reveal party.
3. Pick a theme.
Will it be a boy or girl? Who knows, but many couples are asking that question in more and more creative ways. For instance, you could choose the theme “Waddle It Be?” and deck out your space in cute duckling decorations. Or you could throw a fiesta-themed party and pull off the big reveal by busting open a pinata filled with pink or blue confetti. Once you pick a theme that fits your and your partner’s personalities, it’s easier to decorate and cater around it.
4. Send invitations a month or two in advance.
If you want to go old-school with printed invitations, make sure you send them out early enough to allow plenty of time — at least a month in advance. However, you also have the option of sending invitations via social media or email, which provides the added convenience of easy RSVPs, commenting, and the ability to add the date to an email calendar.
5. Determine your decor based on your theme.
No gender reveal party is complete without fun party favors and decorations. Consider a photo booth station with a “Boy or Girl?” banner hanging on the wall and fun themed props for guests to use. Grab some table toppers, disposable cutlery and plates, and you’re good to go.
6. Play some gender reveal party games!
Of course, the final reveal is the reason everyone’s there, but you can have some fun leading up to it with one or more of the following games.
Guess the gender: Frame your latest ultrasound image and have people write down their best guesses about the gender. Give a prize to those who guessed correctly!
Best dressed: If you decide to share the party theme ahead of time, encourage people to dress according to the theme and hand out awards to the best-dressed guests
Message in a bottle: Have your friends write down messages you can share with your child someday and save them in a bottle
Old wives’ tales: Before the days of ultrasounds and gender reveal parties, people developed wacky ways of determining whether they were having a boy or a girl. Test out a few and see whether any of them hold water!
7. Make the big moment count.
Of course, the most important part of your party is the moment everyone is waiting for: the big reveal! There are so many different creative ways you can pull off this moment, but here are a few of our favorites:
Pop a balloon with pink or blue confetti inside.
Open a box packed with pink or blue balloons.
Slice into a layer cake made with pink or blue food coloring and covered in white frosting
Hand out brown paper packets filled with pink or blue confetti and have all of the guests throw their confetti at the same time.
Fill the air with shade of pink or blue by setting off smoke bombs for a fun photo opportunity.
If you don’t mind cleaning up a mess, have your guests spray you and your partner with blue or pink silly string
Whatever you choose to do, make it count by surrounding yourself with your guests and making sure someone is taking photos. If your budget allows, hire a professional photographer or videographer to take photos of your guests and the event.
