Wedding Woes

I think gender reveal parties are stupid...and I've been roped into hosting one

Dear Prudie,
My best friend is expecting her first child, and I couldn't be more excited for her. Unfortunately, she recently asked if I would host her gender reveal party, because (sign of the apocalypse!) this is a thing that people do now. She is getting a sonogram next week to determine her baby's gender and the results will go directly into a sealed envelope. They will pass that to me and I will open it. Depending on the result, I will fill a large box with either pink or blue balloons that she and her husband will open at this party, in front of dozens of friends and family. I have gone to more than my share of bachelorette parties, bridal showers, bridal luncheons, engagement parties, and baby showers without complaint and usually with enjoyment. But the gender reveal trend leaves a bad taste. This is a stupid idea, right? I'm pretty much already roped into hosting, so I my question is: How do I pull this party off without giving away how narcissistic and unnecessary I think it is?

—It's a Whatever!

Re: I think gender reveal parties are stupid...and I've been roped into hosting one

  • SHE ASKED SOMEONE TO HOST A PARTY FOR HER.

    Forget how stupid gender reveal is, you have a rude-ass moocher for a friend, Conn. Shut that shit down. 
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  • I thought people would pay for this nonsense on their own.
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  • I also agree that it was rude to ask somone to host.  I can't imagine any etiquette saying you can't throw your own gender reveal party.

    Since the friend already agreed to host it, I don't see the need for more than the box with balloons, some beverages, and some chips & dip or a cake/cupcakes.

  • I think it would be fun to help out a friend with the secret and reveal - but just for the parents and their close family.  Not for a party.  It would be so much fun to be the only one who knows the secret, get the balloons or pink or blue cake.  But otherwise - yeah.  Rude.
  • While I would not volunteer to host the party, if my friend handed me a $20, a box, and the envelope and asked me to fill'er up with the right balloons, I'd do it for them. That's what it sounds like the friend is asking her to do.  Unless there's more to the situation.

    If you don't want to, 'no' is the appropriate word here. 


  • AuntFlo said:
    I think it would be fun to help out a friend with the secret and reveal - but just for the parents and their close family.  Not for a party.  It would be so much fun to be the only one who knows the secret, get the balloons or pink or blue cake.  But otherwise - yeah.  Rude.

    Agreed.
  • She didn't state that they want her to pay for the party, but she did state that they want her to host the party, and that usually means providing food and drink.
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  • Durr...reading comprehension failed me.
  • dozens of friends and family? ugh.

    i admit -- i would go to this party, though. never pass an opportunity for cake, yo.
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  • Exactly Hmo.  I find gender parties to be on this side of ridiculous, but if I was close enough to someone to invited to one, I would go.  I love cake, party food, and socializing with friends.
  • Can't they do this shit at the baby shower?
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  • I agree that they are dumb.

    You know the other dumb thing that Pinterest hath wrought? (Warning: Bitter & Childless Rant Ahead) The Disney reveal thing. Telling your 4 year old about vacation does not require planning. If you want to put the time, effort, and expense into it I guess that is your deal. But if you are only doing it because everyone else is doing it and you feel pressure to give your special snowflake child the ultimate Disneyfied existence by bringing Cinderella to your house or whatever...you are dumb.
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    I just a friendly gal looking for options.

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  • Zsazsa, I actually kind of want someone to do the Disney reveal to ME!
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  • I also missed the dozens of friends and family part. NO.

    BFF's and the grandparents to be? Fine.
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  • @zsazsa-stl: I can see how that started though.  I don't even want to hear 6let talk about his Halloween costume for 3 weeks.  I can't IMAGINE what it would be like for months before.  So you wait until the last minute and make it awesome.
  • loveshine1loveshine1 member
    Ninth Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its
    edited October 2013
  • i can't imagine why anyone would want to find out the sex of their future child in front of dozens of friends and family...other than that they are complete narcissists.  to me, that is a private moment between the mother and father.  if they want a box full of special colored balloons, they can make it themselves to give to whoever they want to tell in such a stupid way.  i don't see why calling people and saying "hey mom, it's a boy!" is a problem.

     

    i also feel like there's already going to be a baby shower for these people...how many events are their friends going to have to be involved in related to this child before it's even born??? 

  • question:
    delujm0 said:

    i can't imagine why anyone would want to find out the sex of their future child in front of dozens of friends and family...other than that they are complete narcissists.  to me, that is a private moment between the mother and father. 

    answer:
    delujm0 said:

    i can't imagine why anyone would want to find out the sex of their future child in front of dozens of friends and family...other than that they are complete narcissists.  to me, that is a private moment between the mother and father. 

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  • Okay... I admit it. I threw two of my sisters gender reveal parties. However, I have to say, this was completely my idea and I wanted to do it because I like parties and I like to make a big deal out of things. Both of my sisters admittingly thought it was kind of weird and neither of them were cool with me knowing the gender first. So they both agreed that I could have the party, but they would make the cupcakes once they found out the gender.

    It was only our immediate family (even I thought it would be dumb to invite anyone else when we were already going to have a baby shower, and they definitely didn't want anyone else there) so it was more of a party for our family to all find out together what the gender was after the respective expecting parents had already found out. It was all around a fun way for us to get together as a family and that way, they could see our expressions (mostly my parents) when for instance, they found out that one sister was having a boy after three girl grandchildren.

    If one of my friends asked me to throw one for them, I would find it a bit odd.. I do find Pinterest can be so annoying with all the different reasons to celebrate yourself these days. But since I wanted to do it for my sisters, I don't think it's as weird, and we all had fun.
  • Dear @pintsizeslasher

    Please to be using this as your avatar:

    image

    It's Betty, the Hibbity Hobbity Thief.  Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    VarunaTT
  • I really want this trend to die imho
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  • VarunaTT?

    Dear @pintsizeslasher

    Please to be using this as your avatar:
  • B/c it makes me happy.  I like Betty and she is a pint sized slasher character.
  • Grabows14 said:
    I really want this trend to die imho
    Me too.  
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  • alikatt17 said:
    Can't they do this shit at the baby shower?
    They could but I'm guessing anyone who makes that big of a deal out of the gender reveal is going to want decorate the nursery in a gender specific theme and register for all sorts of gender specific items. If they wait till the shower to find out they are going to get a bunch of gender neutral stuff. 
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  • WzzWzz member
    2500 Comments 250 Love Its Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    i blame the duggars for this one.
  • i think the whole thing is ridiculous. 

    - the person who didn't find out her child's sex until about 3 minutes following her c-section
  • WzzWzz member
    2500 Comments 250 Love Its Second Anniversary Name Dropper

    no matter what, most of the time you end up finding out anyway.

     

    when the doctor told me what i was having, i did not know how to react. the only choices are boy and girl, and it's going to be one or the other - we'd have been excited regardless. i should have asked him to fill the room with pink or blue balloons instead of just flat out pointing it out to us on the screen. doctors should really get more into it. i mean, they get paid enough - allocate some of that insurance money to a balloon fund!

  • And then the baby is born, and it's a boy instead of a girl or vice versa... 
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  • doeydo said:
    And then the baby is born, and it's a boy instead of a girl or vice versa... 

    Happened to my cousin.  That was a shocker (and kind of funny, in hindsight).
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