For thousands of years, men and women had to wait until the moment of delivery to find out if their baby was a sweet little boy or a tiny precious girl. However, those days are long gone and nearly every couple opts to find out the gender of their baby during the pregnancy itself. The fact that most couples know whether they are expecting a girl or a boy about 5 months into their pregnancy has led to a whole new trend: the gender reveal party.
While many women still have baby showers to help them prepare for their new arrival, lots of parents-to-be are adding another celebration to the list. The gender reveal party is an event where a couple invites their closest family and friends in order to announce the big news. Some couples know what they are having ahead of time, while others are surprised at the time of the party. Whereas 50 years ago the best way to announce your child's gender was to say "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" to waiting family members and friends after the delivery, today's gender reveal is a much bigger event.
Parents today are always looking for a way to celebrate their children, and now that celebration begins with a gender reveal party. It's not enough to simply gather everyone in the living room and break the news. You have to think of a witty and creative way that gets people involved, allowing them to become a part of your pregnancy and experience the excitement and anticipation for themselves. These ideas will help any mom-to-be plan the perfect gender reveal party.
Release the Balloons
Prior to the party, go out and buy either pink and purple balloons or blue and green balloons. Have them blown up, and stuffed in a giant cardboard box. Wrap the box up as if it were a gift, and have the parents open up the box in front of all the guests. Everyone will be surprised when either blue or pink balloons float out up into the air. You can expect lots of shouting and cheering when the big reveal is complete.
Get a Little Bit Silly
If you have a family that likes to have fun and get a little messy, then this might be the perfect gender reveal party for you. Purchase numerous cans of either blue or pink silly string. Remove the labels or create new ones that cover the color of the string. Make sure there are enough cans for everyone to grab one when they come to the party. Have someone start a countdown, and, at the end, have everyone spray their silly string at once. This reveal truly gets your guests involved in the big moment.
Let Them Eat Cake
Take the results of your ultrasound to a baker and have them create a blue or pink cake. Ask the cake decorator to keep the outside layer of the cake gender neutral. Popular phrases to add on top of the cake include "Blue or Pink? What Could It Be?" or "He or She? Cut Open to See!" At the party, have the parents-to-be cut open the cake in order to find out whether they are having a boy or a girl. The best part is, everyone gets to enjoy a delicious slice of cake while they celebrate the news.
Make It a Competition
What fun is a party without a little bit of friendly competition? For this gender reveal party, have guests pick sides when they arrive. They must choose to be on Team Blue or Team Pink. When the timing is right, make the big announcement to everyone who is there. The winning team earns a small prize or first dibs on the dessert.
Unveil a Photograph
This is a new twist on a classic tradition. Decorate the party with photographs of the parents-to-be as children, and create a slideshow of their lives up until this point. End the slideshow with a maternity photograph that announces whether they are having a boy or a girl. Cute photo ideas include taking a picture of the couple holding a tiny pair of pink or blue shoes, or having the mom wear a pink or blue ribbon around her belly for the picture.
Just because you are sharing the secret about your baby's gender doesn't mean you have to give away all the surprises. Parents can choose at this time whether or not to share the name they have picked out for their little one. Some parents want everyone to know the name so they can refer to the baby by it for the rest of the pregnancy, while others like to keep people waiting in anticipation. The choice is up to you -- but be sure to make the decision ahead of time. You and your partner should be on the same page about revealing the name before the party begins.
In today's world of social media and instant updates, people love to know every little detail about pregnancy as quickly as possible. No one wants to wait until you are three days overdue and miserable to find out whether your little bundle of joy is going to be clad in blue or pretty in pink. Family and friends will love the excuse to get together and celebrate the big news, and you will love sharing in their excitement as you make the announcement. There's no better way to get everyone involved than to throw a gender reveal party. The more creative you make your announcement, the more memorable it will be for you and all of your guests.
Samantha Hunt works at eInvite, an online retailer of wedding invitations, stationery, bar and bat mitzvah invitations, save-the-dates, birthday party invitations, and other custom paper goods.
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