The popularization of  gender reveal parties seems to take originated in 2010, when Josh and Anna Duggar (of TLC's xix Kids and Counting) cut a cake on the Today prove to reveal pink icing. In reality, the earliest known gender reveal comes from a 2008 YouTube video when a couple simply opened an envelope and revealed to their closest family unit members the big news of "Boy or Girl."

Because this tendency is all the same relatively new, people are not quite sure how to arroyo these kinds of parties in terms of etiquette. Gender reveal parties are a relatively new concept, then the etiquette is still being worked out through trial and mistake.

In fact, even Miss Manners has non known how to bargain with this subject. In 2014, she answered a question most the appropriateness of gender reveal parties past suggesting that they were "absurd theatrics" and "farcical." Ignoring Miss Manners' communication to forego them all together, many women are however looking for guidance on how to properly host their gender reveal parties.

With over 58% of women saying they discover out the gender of their babe before nascency, it'due south no wonder they're itching to share the big news. Nevertheless older guests may have never heard of the Pinterest-y gender reveal party, and so information technology's important that guests understand what is going on.

Here are our etiquette tips for hosts and guests alike. Most of the following tips are based on traditional etiquette that have been modernized to help both the hosts and their guests know what to wait.

Are Guests Required to Bring Gifts to a Gender Reveal?

This is the number i etiquette question, and the answer is NO. A gender reveal party is non the same matter every bit a baby shower. If the gender reveal is hosted at a baby shower, yous would bring a typical shower souvenir. All the same, if the gender reveal is separate from the babe shower, you are non required to bring a gift.

Some guests do still hold to the hostess souvenir any time they are invited to a party. In this case, you tin can bring some food, a bottle of vino (to be enjoyed later infant arrives), or a candle or pocket-sized  household item costing around $10 or less. If you choose to bring anything, it'southward better to focus on the heavily pregnant mama-to-be at this bespeak rather than buying baby apparel and accessories—those can wait for the shower.

Withal, as a hostess, you lot should not look any gifts at a gender reveal political party. That means you lot shouldn't list registry information if yous send a formal invite. If someone is kind enough to give you a gift, be sure to send them a thanks annotation after the party.

Who Should Host a Gender Reveal?

Traditional etiquette says that you should never host your ain party or shower if information technology will be a gift-receiving outcome. Since we've established that gender reveal parties are non gift-giving events, it'southward adequate to host your ain party merely as you would for a backyard BBQ gathering.

Some couples choose to pass the baton to a friend or family member so they can exist surprised by the gender reveal, too. In this example, y'all tin still host the political party yourself but accept your trusted helper order the secret icing in the block or make full the balloons with the appropriate colored confetti.

When Should the Gender Reveal Party Accept Place?

There is no hard-and-fast etiquette dominion hither, but you actually have two sensible options. Your baby shower will usually occur in the third trimester and you don't want to accept the 2 parties close together. If y'all detect out the gender at 20 weeks or so, you may want to wait and throw a "joint" babe shower/gender reveal party. Otherwise your guests may feel inundated with baby parties.

If y'all notice out the gender quite early through a blood exam, you can throw the gender reveal party every bit early on as three months gestation.

Can the Parents Be Surprised, Too?

Yes! If—and just if—you are truly, perfectly content with either gender. The same must employ for your partner. Many a gender reveal has been ruined with the awkwardness of 1 or both of the parents existence subtly (or not so subtly) disappointed with the outcome.

Who is Invited to a Gender Reveal Party?

Almost gender reveal parties should be intimate. Typically, you stick with the closest family and friends. Try not to extend toward more distant friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. The truth is many people in your life will be rather indifferent toward the gender of your babe, simply they may feel obligated to come merely to end up not enjoying themselves. It's also a bit tacky to invite this entire listing of people to both the gender reveal and the shower, which can be seen equally a double-grab.

What Food Should the Host Provide?

Given that most gender reveals are casual parties, hosts have a range of options. A grill-out with hotdogs and burgers or catered meal seem to exist the most popular choices. If you have a very short, breezy reveal with firsthand family, you tin can do punch or tea with snacks after dinner hours.

Most hosts also offering a range of pink and blue themed desserts like cupcakes and cookies.

Make sure to double-check  your RSVPs to make sure you have plenty food. Sometimes you'll invite one friend who ends up bringing her fellow and so on, and so you tin finish up with quite a few more than y'all initially expected. Always inquire for a full headcount with each RSVP.

Should I Serve Alcohol?

A gender reveal tin offer beer or wine, either provided or BYO. However, guests and hosts should non expect to accept hard alcohol served. Information technology'due south also perfectly adequate to non offer alcohol.

How Do I Send Invites for a Gender Reveal Party?

Keep it simple. Your guests already have a babe shower to worry about, besides. If you go with as well formal of an invitation, your guests may become confused and think information technology is the baby shower, or they may think it requires gifts. They might likewise wait a much more formal political party than you lot're really planning based on a paper invite.

You tin also choose to transport informal invites through text, electronic mail or social media every bit if you lot were planning a cookout. If you choose to go with a newspaper invite, make sure the guests understand the purpose and formality of your event. You may even want to send a dual invite with your baby shower date listed so they understand these are two carve up events.

Should I Have Games?

While y'all desire to make sure your guests are having fun, you don't necessarily need games to go on them entertained. Babe showers are still the queen of cheesy games, so don't feel pressured to come up with something elaborate.

In fact, most guests will prefer to simply enjoy each other's company and nibble on good food. At nigh, we recommend having a simple bet placed by each guest on whether they guess the baby is a boy or girl.

Some parties accept gone a little too extreme by asking guests to attend wearing a shirt or clothes in pink or blue based on their estimate: don't do this. Not merely is it considered rude by traditional etiquette to dictate clothing (outside of formality recommendations), just most your guests will be annoyed at having to find (or even purchase) something to wear lest they non "fit in" at the political party.

Social Media Problems

Everyone loves sharing their fun times on social media, but some moms-to-be are not however ready to go that large. They may accept a special photo planned to denote the gender on their own Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

As a guest, you should never reveal the gender on your social media unless you accept the permission of the momhoped-for.  If you have any exceptional photos, ship them to her or the father-to-be  so they can take information technology for their personal albums.

Concluding Tips

Keep in listen that these are our recommendations based on experience with hundreds of gender reveal parties. The chief goal with whatever etiquette conclusion is to make sure your guests are comfy. Even though this party feels like information technology's all about you, your partner and your before long-to-exist-born baby, it'south important that your guests enjoy themselves. They can best do this past understanding what to expect at your party, so don't be afraid to spell it out.

As a guest, you can likewise avoid an awkward fake pas by simply asking questions nearly what's expected of you.

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