Whether you have a little one on the way or have a sibling, best friend, or another person who’s close to you in your life who’s expecting, one of the biggest questions undoubtedly getting thrown often is what the sex of the baby is. 

Leave Plenty of Time for Planning, Invites, and Medical Appointments

Choose a date ASAP and send out save the date cards or emails, or invitations to your guests. People lead busy lives, so the more notice you give attendees, especially those who will be traveling in from out of town, the better. The longer you give yourself or your loved ones to plan the gender reveal party, the easier it will be to create a memorable and affordable event. Planning takes time, after all, plus you need notice to book a venue if you’re not having the party at someone’s home, and other vendors. 

If you’re the pregnant one, you’ll need to set up a gender-determining ultrasound or even potentially a 3D ultrasound at the right time to enable a gender reveal on the day. Most skilled technicians can tell if you’re having a boy or girl once you hit around 18 to 20 weeks’ gestation, so try to book your appointment for this timeframe. Ask them to write the sex of the baby on a piece of paper and place this in a sealed envelope. Give this to someone in charge of the logistics of arranging the reveal when the time comes. 

If the baby has its legs folded up in a way that means the technician can’t accurately determine the gender, or if other issues occur, you’ll need to schedule a follow-up ultrasound to get the gender information. Don’t assume that you will definitely get results the first time around, so leave enough time for a second appointment if required. 

Set a Budget Upfront

Unless you have an unlimited budget, which most people don’t, it’s wise to set a total amount upfront that you or your family wants to spend on the gender reveal party. Having this figure in mind right from the beginning makes it much easier to make appropriate decisions about different aspects of the event and not get too carried away along the way. 

Choose a Theme

You’ll also want to choose a theme for your party to help tie all the elements together. There are all sorts of different ideas you can select from. For instance, you could keep things simple by opting for a pink and blue or white or lemon theme, or you could opt for a cute animal theme, such as bumblebees, ducks, or deer. 

Some people have fun creating a Baby Gender Reveal Bowl setup as a riff on the Super Bowl, while others opt for a royal Prince and Princess theme. The ideas are endless, so consider what appeals to you and what’s achievable when it comes to finding suitable decorations, tableware, invites, food, and the like. 

Decide on the Reveal Logistics

Of course, there’s no gender reveal party without revealing the sex of the baby, so you have to decide the delivery method of this information. Again, your options are broad and varied. You might decide to browse and buy fireworks online to set off that will show the appropriate pink or blue colors in the sky, or you could have a cake made with the right color baked inside on layers of sponge or another type of dessert. Some people get a pinata made up with candies or confetti or other items inside that are pink or blue, while others do the same with balloons.

Other party elements you need to consider carefully include how you will document the occasion, how different weather situations might affect plans (create a backup venue as needed), and the food and drink options on the day. 

If planning for a loved one, keep the expectant mother’s limitations in mind when determining the menu since she should avoid alcohol, sushi and other raw fish, soft cheeses, and more. Also, don’t forget to develop some fun games for the event that everyone can play to have some giggles. 

Planning and hosting a gender reveal party can take a lot of time and energy but is worthwhile doing. Think about all the factors mentioned above to help you create a truly memorable and special day.