Baby, Baby, Baby…Oh Boy (or Girl)… where to begin?! Planning a party can be overwhelming, where do you start? One of the newest trends in party planning is baby gender reveals. Everyone is bursting with excitement… boy or girl, what will baby be? It’s a time for families and friends to gather and celebrate the arrival of the new family member. Whether it’s popping a balloon, cutting into a cake, or swinging at a golf ball or baseball, baby gender reveal celebrations can be personal, exciting and memorable. It’s a trend that new parents are embracing, so let’s take a swing at planning your special day. Here are 5 tips that will set the course for planning a reveal that reflects your style and personality.
1. Tackling Your Theme
Touchdowns or tutus, bows or bowties, prince or princess, what will it be!? To ensure you tie everything together, pick a theme for your party; I recommend selecting a theme based around the reveal item you choose (see No. 2 Choose a reveal item). Remember, you don’t know the gender yet, so keep the décor equally balanced with blue and pink.
Think balloons, streamers, and confetti. Give your guests the option to make their prediction of the gender as they walk in, have pink and blue wristbands or pink and blue bead necklaces by the door as they walk in. Of course, lots of blue and pink food can add to the mystery of the reveal (you can get fun and creative with this)!
2. Choose a Reveal Item
With the growing popularity of baby gender reveals, choosing a way to make your reveal can seem like a daunting decision to make, but it doesn’t have to be!
The key is to make it personal and reflective of you and your partner. When you start worrying about what Aunt Brenda and cousin Sam think, that’s when the decision making can start to get stressful. Maybe you both like watching baseball together, have your husband hit a powder-filled baseball. Perhaps, in your free time you love finding the best donut shop in town, you incorporate that into your reveal. Both of you can bite into an icing filled donut of the specific color gender. Want to keep it simple with a little pop? You two can pop a confetti-filled balloon together. Pick something that reflects you and your significant other and make your reveal focused around that. Be creative and remember, the sky’s the limit with creativity!
If you need a few more ideas for your theme, check out my post: 5 Creative Ways to Reveal your Baby's Gender
3. Select a Secret Holder
Shhhhh it’s a secret. You’re going to need a really good secret keeper…THIS IS KEY!! It can be a tough one because, of course, you want it to be a surprise to everyone, even you and your partner! Your secret keeper will also be responsible for executing your reveal item so you will need someone you trust. When you receive your baby’s gender sealed in an envelope from your doctor, you will need to deliver the secret straight to your secret keeper (so you’re not tempted to peek). In addition to the gender envelope, your secret keeper will need all the details about the reveal item you chose. After all, they are the only ones that will know the secret and will be responsible for setting up the big surprise.
4. Create a Guest List
A baby gender reveal party is meant to be an intimate celebration for families and close friends. There are definitely people you want to ensure are invited, such as your immediate family (parents, siblings, grandparents)…the first people you would call to tell the exciting news to. Friends are often as close as family so consider those that are as close to you as a sibling. A suggestion, if you haven’t told them you’re pregnant, then they probably don’t need to be invited. If they found out about your pregnancy via social media, they probably aren’t close enough to make this guest list. Think small and intimate for your gender reveal party.
5. Capture the Moment
Every photo tells a story. You only have one chance to get the perfect shot. Of course, there’s always the option to hire a professional photographer and videographer, but sometimes that’s not in your budget. The alternative is to designate a few people to take photos and videos, but stay away from asking family to play this role; you will want family to be fully present for this moment! Keep in mind, you can always pull photos from a video. Having two people capture the moment from different angles is suggested. Using a tripod for video content is a good option and let’s not forget about drones!
Boy or girl, what will it be? These tips will be beneficial in planning a reveal that will excite your guests and be a special memory to share with your sweet child one day!
