You want to celebrate everything about your pregnancy and upcoming motherhood. Holding a gender reveal party is a cool way to let everyone you know and love share in the joy of learning the sex of your baby. But do you have any idea how to plan a gender reveal party? Follow this checklist to plan your party from start to reveal.

Schedule your ultrasound: There are several gender reveal party checklists that suggest scheduling the ultrasound after sending invitations. Not all ultrasound technicians are able to tell the gender of the baby on the first ultrasound. It is best to wait to plan the party until you have the gender in hand.

Choose a theme

Your theme will drive the party invitations, food selections, and décor. Themes can range from team boy and team girl t-shirts to a black-tie affair – just how big do you want the party to be?

Create the guest list

Jot down a general guest list of people you want to invite to the gender reveal party. This guest list may not be the final list you use to send invitations, but it will give you a general number to invitations to order. If you are ordering personalized invitations, order more than you need to allow for last-minute invites.

Choose the party date, time, and location

You will need this information to order the invitations. If you are renting a space for the party, guarantee the location, date, and time in writing before inviting guests.

Order the invitations

Using the theme, guest list, and location details, order the invitations for the gender reveal party.

Start on the party menu

Use your theme to create a unique party menu. Remember to include foods you can eat while pregnant. Decide with your partner if alcohol will be served or allowed at the party and whether drinks will be BYOB or provided. Some hosts choose to add pink and blue cocktails as part of the theme for guests.

Order the cake

Many expecting parents use the cake as the reveal by adding pink or blue filling to the cake. Remember to discuss this option with the bakery.

Finalize food details based on RSVPs

Always plan for more guests than the number of RSVPs you receive. You can handle having too much food – give the extras to the guests – but having too little is a party faux pas.

Plan activities and the special event

Some couples choose to plan specific party games and others choose to set up games guests can play while mingling. The most important party game of all is the reveal. If you have chosen to skip the cake reveal, think about adding the reveal to the last party game of the night.

This is a basic checklist for your gender reveal party, but there are bound to be bits, pieces, and details no one can plan for so stay calm, invite the people you love, and get ready to tell the world boy or girl!