Gender reveal parties are an exciting way to announce the gender of your baby to friends and family. This was not something that was done back when my other five kids were in-utero, but with baby #6 we, and by we I mean my kids, have decided to share our big news in a big way.

So what do you need to plan a gender reveal party. Here are my 5 best tips for planning your big reveal.

 

Gender Reveal Party Tip #1: Decide who will know

Decide who will be the bearer of good news. Do you and your significant other want to know and then share with family and friends? Do you want to be a part of surprise? Deciding who will be the “keeper” of the secret until the party is your first step. When I planned my sister’s gender reveal party, she and her husband knew the baby’s gender and decided to plan that portion of the party, so that all guests would be surprised. For my party, I had the ultrasound tech place the gender results in a sealed envelope and gave the envelope to my friend who was in charge of that part of the party. I tell you,  not knowing is HARD but knowing that someone else knows is even HARDER!!  So decide who you want to keep the secret. Could be you, a friend or family member, or even just your local baker who specializes in gender reveal cakes. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

 

Gender Reveal Party Tip #2: How Will It Go Down

This is probably the most fun–planning the HOW of the reveal. Here are some suggestions

• Cake/Cupcakes/Cake-Pops You or your friendly neighborhood baker can bake a cake in which the cake contains either pink or blue frosting in the center. When cake is cut or guests bite into cupcake, the gender is revealed!  Here is a great tutorial from Craftsy on making gender reveal cake-pops
• Balloon Box Purchase pink or blue helium latex balloons from your local party store. Seal them in a large box. when box is opened, voila!
• Pop the Balloon Fill a black balloon with appropriate confetti and helium. To reveal: pop the balloon!
• Silly String Purchase cans of silly string in the appropriate color. Wrap the outside of the can TIGHTLY with construction paper so no one can see the color of the string. At the same time, have everyone spray the string. This is a great idea if you have other kids.

 

The possibilities are endless. A simple google or Pinterest search can yield a TON of additional ideas.

Gender Reveal Party Tip #3: No Gifts

Okay so maybe not a tip so much as a guide. This isn’t meant to be a party with gifts. It is a time to share your great news with your friends/family. Some people are put-off by the idea of a gender reveal party because they think it is just another “gift-giving day”. Let your guests know ahead of time–no gifts. Some people will still feel like they want to give you a little something, which is fine, but it should not be the expectation.

 

Gender Reveal Party Tip #4: Record the Guesses

You can do this any number of ways:

• a chalkboard or poster board where guests write their guesses
• stickers/pins/beads/clothespins in pink/blue that guests wear to display their guess
• photo booth–using a props, capture your guests’ guesses and print out the photos. We used our hp Sprocket for this and it was awesome to see everyone’s guess displayed during the party.

Again the possibilities are endless and an internet search will definitely help you find the perfect way to record guesses. It fun to see who was “right” once the news is revealed.

 

Gender Reveal Party Tip #5: Have Fun!

This isn’t an event that should stress you out. Have fun with it. It doesn’t need to be an elaborate event with hundreds of guests. Close friends and family are good or even just your own family make for a great party. This is supposed to be FUN so don’t stress the small stuff.

So there you have it– my 5 best tips for your gender reveal party. Have you hosted/attended a gender reveal party? What was your favorite part of the event? I’d love to hear about YOUR experience in the comments below. 

Check out this article about the Disney themed gender reveal party I hosted for my sister

Sharing The Magic—Our Disney Side @Home Celebration Gender Revel Party