Baby Shower vs Gender Reveal PartyHosting a gathering of your closest friends and family to celebrate the approaching birth of your baby is lots of fun. It’s a great way to invite those closest to you to be a part of the next chapter of your lives. It might be a last hurrah before months of sleepless nights. And it’s also a practical way to gather together those essential supplies in the form of baby gifts.The most popular options for a ‘before baby’ party are either a baby shower or a gender reveal. While a baby shower is traditionally a gathering of female friends to treat the expecting mum, a gender reveal party is a more inclusive celebration for everyone. Usually, new parents will have just a single party to celebrate their baby’s forthcoming arrival, so will need to decide on whether they’ll have a shower or a gender reveal, or combine them both in one epic party.What’s the difference between a baby shower and a gender reveal party?Generally, a baby shower will be planned and hosted by friends of the expecting mum in order to shower her with attention and helpful presents for the baby. Because baby showers are typically female-centric events with the focus on the pregnant mum, important male figures might feel a little left out.The idea of a gender reveal party is for the parents to announce the sex of their baby to all their friends and family. Gender reveals are usually organised by the parents themselves, and can be more fun for couples who want to invite all their friends, soon-to-be grandparents, and even great-grandparents. While it’s technically baby’s sex that’s being revealed, we understand inviting gran to a "sex reveal party" sounds a little inappropriate.Should you have a gender reveal party?For many families, finding out if you’re having a girl or a boy can help you to bond with baby before the birth, especially if there’s older children waiting to meet their new sibling. Other expecting parents just like as much information as possible to help prepare.Even though it doesn’t really matter if you’re having a girl or a boy, it’s still fun to pop that balloon and reveal your baby’s sex to excited friends and family. It’s especially fun if it’s a true surprise and you’re finding out at the same time as your party guests. Sharing that magical moment when you learn the sex of your baby with friends and family brings everyone closer and makes baby’s upcoming birth feel a little more real.If you’re searching for gender reveal or before baby party inspiration, we’ve rounded up the best gender reveal ideas, tips, and advice so you can celebrate the news in a way that feels right for your growing family.How To Host A Baby Gender Reveal PartyIf you’re considering a gender reveal party, one of the biggest decisions will be whether or not you will wait to find out the sex of your baby with everyone else. While most sonographers can tell you if you are having a boy or a girl at your 19 week ultrasound appointment, you can also ask them to keep it a surprise. The doctor can write down baby’s sex and seal it in an envelope for you to give to a friend (or a baker) or send an email to a business if you’ve already started making arrangements for a pre-baby party.Choosing how to make that big reveal will be your next important decision. There’s no reason to go crazy with cannons or start a bush fire. Simple gender reveal party ideas can often be the best. You might choose to hold the big reveal either at the beginning or close to the end of the party, in which case there should be lots of guessing competitions in the lead up. If they haven't been to one before, guests may also wonder what do you do at a gender reveal party. Like with a baby shower, you can also organise games or activities but these are often related to guessing (or betting on) the upcoming announcement rather than traditional baby shower games.Best Baby Gender Reveal IdeasThere’s no need to go overboard with a skywriter to make your baby announcement. The most popular gender reveals are those that are simple and easy to organise. The best, easy gender reveal ideas we love are: Confetti filled balloon pop for the parents Powder smoke bomb Confetti poppers for all the guests Gender reveal cakes or coloured cupcakes Surprise-inside candy filled cakes A present opening with pink, blue, or monogrammed baby shoes Helium balloons in a box Gender reveal piñata (great for older siblings!) They, He, Or She — Can’t Wait To See!A party to reveal baby’s sex doesn’t have to follow stereotypical ideas of boys and girls, blue and pink, he or she, or bows and bow ties. You can celebrate with family and announce the sex of your baby without assigning gender or touting outdated gender perceptions.If you like the idea of gathering with close friends and family to celebrate, but want to avoid the gender stereotypes, there are plenty of alternatives to a gender reveal party. You could simply choose alternative colours instead of pink and blue to represent a girl or boy for the big reveal. Or you can come up with a unique idea to make your announcement.Gender-Neutral Alternatives For A Sex Reveal PartyA name reveal party is a great way to announce if you are having a girl or a boy, or simply to announce the name you have chosen for your baby. For the big reveal, as an alternative to pink or blue confetti, you can arrange for a balloon filled with silver or rainbow letter confetti with baby’s first initial. Or make it even more fun by filling a balloon with all the letters to spell baby’s name so that guests have to combine them for the big baby name reveal.You can also unwrap a personalised baby gift that's been secretly organised by a family member trusted with the big secret. Engraved jewellery with baby's name or initial, or a personalised baby bedroom door plaque made with the name you have chosen for a boy or girl are other great ideas.A pop culture theme is another fun sex reveal party idea without pink or blue. Each parent can choose a side in a gender-free pop culture battle that matches their personality. It might be Marvel vs DC Comics, Coke vs Pepsi, iPhone vs Android, or Steampunk vs Cyberpunk. The ideas are endless.What does a guest bring to a gender reveal party?It’s still a good idea to bring a gift to a gender reveal party. Baby gifts don’t have to be chosen to specifically suit a boy or a girl. Beautiful baby keepsakes, gender-neutral baby gifts, blankets, baby clothes, books, and baby hampers are all wonderful gift ideas for a baby gender reveal party. Any baby essentials to get the new parents set up, or a special gift for the newborn to cherish, will be appreciated.If you're not sure what to bring as a baby gift to a shower or gender reveal, Gifts Australia has a large range of presents that the excited parents will love. Browse our baby gift range and choose something they, he, or she will adore.
