Did you know that you can host a gender reveal party with almost no one – not even the kid’s parents – aware of the big secret? We stress the “almost” though, as there are a few people involved in the celebration that needs to be informed.
The first ones who have to know are the people chipping into the celebrations, which include the party planners and caterers. These are non-negotiable since they’re handling the big reveal itself – usually making use of themed goodies or decorations to deliver the surprise. Remember to have some fun when outing the big secret at a gender reveal party!
The question of “Who knows the kid’s gender at the reveal?” depends primarily on what the family prefers. We’ll just go over exactly who needs to be told, along with some extra tips on how to make the most of the big question.
Who Knows the Gender at the Gender Reveal Party?
The People Who Have To Know
Doctors usually reveal the baby’s gender immediately following ultrasound result interpretation, but they can oblige parents who request not knowing that early on. For these cases, they write down their findings, stuff them in an unmarked envelope, and hand it to the lucky parents for them to read at their own discretion.
Party Preppers
The people handling the event itself come next. This starts with the events coordinator, who makes up the program flow for the day. The events coordinator then informs the decoration designer and caterer, helping them find a way to integrate the big reveal into the evening plan.
You don’t need an events planner to play middleman for these cases, though. If you’re a parent that wants to stay blissfully unaware of the ultrasound result, just hand your caterer or pastry shop the envelope. Have them hide the cake away in a closed box, or better yet have them cover the order in neutral frosting so you only find out when eating.
In general, the only people who need to know the baby’s gender for a gender reveal party are the people directly handling the party preparations – mostly for them to provide the most suitable food, decorations, or party games to best match your child’s gender.
Who Usually Throws Gender Reveal Parties?
It’s normally the parents taking point handling the occasion, but sometimes family or friends can host the gender reveal party. This usually happens when the parents don’t want to know the results quite yet, and it’s actually more common than most people would expect.
Why do some parents want to be kept in the dark?
One possible reason is that they don’t want to be biased about their baby’s sex just yet. Knowing their birth gender would alter how they’d prepare, and this is more relevant given ultrasound result interpretation isn’t 100% reliable – especially early in the pregnancy.
Most pregnancies have two ultrasounds over the entire duration. It’s possible to celebrate this reveal early during the first ultrasound then corroborate or debunk those findings in the next test.
It could also be as simple as them wanting to be surprised. Childbirth is magical, and more information would take away from the mystique – they just might want to preserve that wonder for a little bit longer.
Either one or both parents can keep themselves from being spoiled on that with a bit of care, but the bulk of the preparation needs to be handled by someone in the know. If neither you nor your partner wants the secret spoiled, call in a close family member or trusted friend to spearhead the planned celebration.
How To Reveal Baby Gender with Style
Colored food (And props!)
You can’t go wrong with a bit of color – it’s a gender reveal party staple at this point! The blue and pink can be included in everything from cupcakes, balloons, smoke, confetti, and even pinatas!
One neat trick you can pull is having your baker color the cake batter with the answer, then cover it in neutral frosting colors like white, green, or red. You can save the reveal for the cake-cutting, and have a tasty snack to follow shortly after.
While smoke and other props are a decent option, we don’t really recommend those for a gender reveal. There have been a disproportionate number of mishaps that developed from overeager gender reveal parties – smoke, in particular, lends itself exceedingly well to pyrotechnical accidents. These can cause catastrophic property damage and even loss of life, so don’t get too excited with risky reveal plans. Save your enthusiasm for the baby shower instead.
Party Games (Featuring the guests!)
You could also have everyone play around with the big question. One way to do that is by having them wear their guesses (blue or pink outfits!) to the party. A modest raffle with a themed prize would be perfect to round this game out.
If one or both parents aren’t in the know, this would be the perfect time to have a gender reveal pinata. Slip a few bushels of colored candy into the paper mache shell, then take a few swings to crack the secret wide open!
Softer candies work well here, along with candies that can come in one color. If you want our recommendation, Sour Patch Kids make for great pinata stuffing. They even come in blue and pink sets to complete the theme!
Final Thoughts
Parents don’t always know their kid’s gender before the reveal party, but the people preparing it definitely need that information. The baby’s gender helps them figure out the best approach to reveal that secret stylishly. Take a recording of this for your child to see when they’re older, and don’t forget to have fun during the celebration!