Gender reveal parties are a relatively new trend, where the expecting parents throw a party with friends, family and other close guests to reveal the sex of the baby before it’s born. Similar to a baby shower except open to not just women, a gender reveal party can be lots of fun if done right. If you’re unsure how to go about planning your own gender reveal party, then you’ll need a few tips to get thinking.

Initially, it may not seem like the biggest part of the day, but having a theme to your gender reveal party is key to providing a fun event that will be remembered for years to come. While everyone is all in the carefree mood that an expectant baby can stir in people, get them to cut loose even more with a creative theme.

Some of the best themes for your gender reveal are the simplest – prince and princess themed days always go down a treat, as do pirates or mermaids, or even quarterback or cheerleader. There’s no best choice to make; use children’s books, movies or any other piece of media as inspiration for your party theme. If you want to make the day a roaring success, get everyone to dress up with the theme – it’ll make your gender reveal party a day filled with laughs.

It’s onto the important things – if plenty of your friends are also expecting, you’ll need to move fast to secure the right time and date for your gender reveal party. Ideally, the party should happen sometime around the second trimester, or at the 20-week mark of the pregnancy. If you can plan early, you and your loved ones can then focus on throwing the perfect party.

When it comes to picking a venue, most people tend to have their gender reveal party at home. But if your home can’t cope with it, check out local businesses for a cute space.

Now the whole reason you have thrown this party is for the gender reveal – a happy moment that makes lasting memories. When you go to the ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby, you can get the doctor to write down the sex so that you also won’t know until the big day. This means you can enlist a trusted friend to plan the event so that you find out at the same time as everyone else, creating an even greater surprise for everyone involved.

When it comes to a gender reveal party, there’s some keys to decorating. Firstly, find the perfect banner – if it matches your theme, then even better. Your visitors will love a great backdrop for photos so you can have lasting memories of the day.

Other decorations can revolve around the fun games you want to play at the party. A pinata is a popular idea for a gender reveal party, and can even be included in the gender reveal. Other balloons, streamers and posters can make for great decorations at your special party.

A cake is always an amazing idea for a party, and it’s no different at a gender reveal party. There are so many great cakes around, but finding one that matches your theme and will please your attendees may take some time. Plan ahead to discover the cake that’ll make your jaw drop.

If you want to lead into the gender reveal or follow the big moment up with more fun, party games are the best addition to the day. If you have chosen a cute theme, a costume dress-up and catwalk parade always results in plenty of laughs and photos.

If you’re thinking of more sentimental games, get each person at the party to write down a future note for the baby to be. It may seem funny at the time, but it can be an incredibly sweet gesture down the track.

In terms of games, don’t be afraid to make the gender reveal an actual party game. Everyone can guess the sex of the baby, and prizes can be given to those who manage to get it right.

Now that you’ve got the main parts of your own special gender reveal party right, it’s time to perfect every moment of the day.

You can do cute things like making party bags for all guests, or hiring a photographer so you don’t have to stress about capturing all of the best moments. In the end, it’s your party, so get creative and add your own fun touches so you enjoy the gender reveal party.