How to Throw a Gender Reveal Party: Fun & Creative Ideas & Etiquette
Gender reveal parties are a delightful way for the couple to tell their friends and family about their pregnancy. The reveal of the baby’s gender adds a wonderful element of surprise to this joyous celebration. Since these events are relatively new to everyone, you may not even know how to host one of your own. But no worries, we’re happy to help!
With a baby shower, you’ll often play the traditional games, and guests are expected to bring gifts from your registry. A gender reveal party is a little more laid back and doesn’t quite have a set of rules just yet. It’s all about the reveal! We’ve put together a list of common questions that come up when planning these events so you can get a better idea of how you’d like to plan your own!
Common Questions people ask:
1. Do I Host My Own?
The expecting parents are often the hosts of the party as it’s the first official celebration with friends and family. It’s common to hold this celebration at the beginning of your pregnancy so you can share the reveal with those closest to you before sharing it with everyone else. Many couples hand off the surprise element to a close friend or family member if they want to be surprised on the day of as well.
2. Should People Bring Gifts?
Since the purpose of the party is more about the reveal, there’s a bit of an unspoken rule that gifts aren’t expected. You likely don’t have a registry yet, and people might be stuck scratching their heads, not knowing what to get without knowing the baby’s gender yet. If some guests are insisting on buying gifts, you can create a gender-neutral registry. You can list it on the invitation, but guests shouldn’t feel obligated to buy gifts just yet. The baby shower and newborn months are definitely the time to be showered in presents. This celebration is a little more casual and just a fun way to share this new gift of life with everyone you love.
That being said, don’t be surprised if people show up with gifts. It’s never too early to start your collection of diapers. It’s actually not uncommon for people to bring gifts for the expecting parents. You might see some helpful books for Dad and some cozy relaxation gifts for Mom.
3. Who Should Be Invited?
This one is absolutely up to you! Since your baby shower is traditionally a gathering for you and the ladies in your life, it can be fun to have a more inclusive gender reveal party. This is your time to invite all the guys in your family and friend groups to join in on the fun. These events are typically more of a fun backyard BBQ party, so the guys won’t be stuck playing any due date guessing games and can just enjoy the celebration. The size of your guest list is entirely up to you, so it just depends on how many people you want to entertain and feed.
4. When Should I Have the Party?
In the past, parents have had to wait for their mid-pregnancy ultrasound to find out the baby’s gender. This is often the first time the doctor will get to see the sex of your baby if they’re cooperative on ultrasound day. Now, with constant advancements in technology, you can get a blood test done as early as ten weeks. For most parents, it’s tough not to want to know as early as possible.
Many parents will opt for the 10-week test so they can start planning names and begin to fantasize about their little family. If you want to find out as soon as possible, then you should probably hold your party shortly after the information becomes available. The sooner, the better, so you don’t accidentally spoil the surprise before the party.
5. What If I want to Be Surprised with My Guests?
Some parents want to find out the gender of their baby at the same time as their guests. All you need to do is let your doctor know that you’d like it to be a surprise and control the urge to find out for yourself. Give the info to a trusted friend or family member, and they can be in charge of putting together the reveal, so you find out with everyone else.
6. How Should We Do the Reveal?
This is the main event! The rest of your party can be a regular backyard get-together with some cute decorations, but the reveal can be as over the top or simple as you’d like.
The expecting parents are often the hosts of the party as it’s the first official celebration with friends and family. It’s common to hold this celebration at the beginning of your pregnancy so you can share the reveal with those closest to you before sharing it with everyone else. Many couples hand off the surprise element to a close friend or family member if they want to be surprised on the day of as well.
Here are some fun ideas:
Celebrate with Gender Reveal Cake
Cut into the cake with your partner and have some colored candies or sprinkles pour out of the center. This is a fun and tasty way to find out the gender with your guests. Get inspired from Gender Reveal Cakes Pinterest Board.
Play Cupcake Roulette to Reveal
This one is fun because it gets your guests involved. Whoever is in charge of the reveal can make or order enough cupcakes, so each guest gets one. Fill every cupcake with white frosting but make one of them pink or blue inside. No one will know which guest has the reveal cupcake so just make sure no one eats theirs in one bite. Find recipes and ideas here to learn how to make Gender Reveal Cupcakes to play Cupcake Roulette.
Reveal with Confetti Poppers
Confetti-filled poppers make for a fun photo, and they get your guests involved in the reveal too. Once it’s time for the reveal, have someone ready with a camera and instruct your guests to give their popper a good tug. Colored confetti will rain down around you and your partner, creating a festive vibe and the perfect photo. Make your own Confetti Poppers or find the ones you like.
When it comes to your gender reveal party, you really can’t go wrong. A baby is always an exciting time for everyone involved. Your guests are just happy to join in on the celebration with you, and this is just one of the many exciting steps on your new adventure as parents.
Oh, and don’t forget to make a Photo Backdrop so your guests can take awesome photos during the party! Those will be the timeless memories they’ll cherish year after year.
If you need more inspiration, find some cool party ideas and gift guide & etiquettes. Happy celebrating!
