Congratulations – you’re pregnant! And just as excited for you are the close friends and family you love most. While it can be easy to get caught up in doctor visits, prenatal courses, books, Amazon lists and baby shower gifts, gender reveal parties are a sweet way to step back and remember to celebrate each other, the miracle of your pregnancy, and the life of your soon-to-be son or daughter. And what better way to do all of this than by gathering all of your closest friends and family for an intimate party in your home.
Thankfully, you’ve still got plenty of time to baby-proof the house, ready the nursery, find the highest-ranking car seat, and find the perfect European organic baby formula that’s right for you. First, you will need to prepare the house for the gender reveal party itself…but we’ve got you covered with some fun tips and tricks to throw a baby celebration your family and friends will remember forever.
There are plenty of ways to get creative; but before you start the planning, it’s important to remember what it’s all for. Yes, you’re gathering in excited anticipation for the arrival of your little one. And of course, there are a number of other ways to celebrate that (baby showers, babymoons, etc.) But gender reveals are distinct in their own right. It’s a reminder to the parents that even after they become parents, they can still enjoy themselves.
Parenthood will come with its challenges and adjustments, to be sure. But taking intentional time to look up from the chaotic logistics – even if only for a few hours in your backyard – and relish the gift we have in those we get to call loves ones. The children you love more than you can put into words; your spouse who you somehow fall more in love with every day; the friends who’ve cried with you, laughed with you, cheered you on and snapped you out of it; the relatives who drive you crazy, and yet love you fiercely. A gender reveal celebrates all of them, too.
Pinterest boards and search engines are great, but keeping true to the core reasons you plan the parties, trips, celebrations, and gatherings like these has a way of melting the stress of the details away.
Now that you’re halfway through a tissue box reminiscing on all the most tender memories with the most special people in your life, we’ve got some suggestions!
First, the best folks to get you started are the team at Gender Reveal Celebrations. Its married co-founders – who failed spectacularly at their first attempted gender reveal – saw a demand for first-time parents trying to pull off their own gender reveals successfully. (Now on their third child, they’ve had new chances to do it differently.) Check out their website for the coolest gender reveal ideas.
Next, as you remember our guests and how much they mean to you, consider sending them home with little party favors. Something as small and simple as koozies (labeled “Team Lashes” or “Team ‘Staches”), cookie packages, extra balloons, wristbands, or personalized crackers are just a few ways to gift them something cute and special.
Finally – and this goes without saying, of course – but a party’s not a party without some sugary snacks. (And, if sticking with pink and blue foods, a little food coloring goes a long way.) Think themed cookies (in shapes like pacifiers, strollers, or baby booties), bowls of pacifier candy, and of course, a slice of sex-revealing cake. A donut wall peg board can offer pink and blue hanging donuts for guests to snatch up, beverage dispensers can pour out pink and blue lemonades, popcorn bowls can delightfully show off in different colors.
You can even serve burgers on the grill and call your party a BaByQ. (Did I hear an amen from all the dads?)
So whether you pop a confetti gun, slice open a cake, or burn rubber and spin your truck in donuts to spout out pink or blue exhaust, the important thing is this is a life milestone. You made it here because of the people in your life – here’s a chance to celebrate both your baby, and those people who get to be part of the baby’s life, too.