The influencer had no idea. Gender reveal in fireworks would be over the top (exclusive)

Nicole Renard Warren didn’t set out to throw an over-the-top sex reveal party, but when she was offered a free pink and blue firework display, she jumped at the chance.

“My husband and I love fireworks,” Nicole, 29, tells PEOPLE. “We got engaged on the Fourth of July and they’ve always been our special thing, so we thought it would be fun to announce the gender of our first child with pink or blue fireworks.”

After finding a company called Big Grin Fireworks that had created sexually explicit firework displays in the past, Nicole was offered the service for free.

“They wanted to test a new show and asked if they could do something bigger,” says Nicole, an influencer who has more than 2 million followers on TikTok. “I had no idea what they meant, but in short, we had no idea it was going to be as big as it was.”

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The resulting fireworks display – which was all in pink, as a nod to the couple’s baby girl – was, she says, “a total surprise”.

And, as Nicole mentions, it was created with biodegradable products and using strict safety protocols, as it was not placed next to trees and was kept a safe distance from the participants.

“It was epic and we’re so grateful to be able to celebrate with our family and friends in such a big way. It’s definitely a memory we’ll never forget,” she adds.

While the fireworks show was entirely managed and set up by a licensed team, Nicole DIY organized the rest of the event herself (which took place at a friend’s property in Nashville, Tennessee), making all the food and calling on Amazon and crafts local. decoration shops.

“The planning took about a week,” she says. “Once I had the fireworks team on board, I had to decide what I wanted to do for the decor and food and then make sure everything was ordered and done on time.”

About 50 of her and her husband Chandler’s closest family and friends attended the event, enjoying “baked chiles and grilled burgers” (that’s hamburgers and hot dogs), along with homemade brownies, pretzels topped with chocolate and pink and rice krispie treats with blue.

Handmade floral arrangements (using flowers from Trader Joe’s) added to the aesthetic.

The fireworks were of course what shocked the guests the most.

“None of us expected it to be this big,” says Nicole, adding that all the guests agreed the party was “the most epic gender reveal they’ve ever been to.”

She continues: “I love an excuse to get my friends together, celebrate and make a memory. Whether it’s a birthday party, celebrating a promotion or Christmas, I always go all out because why not? ! Life is too short.”