Image via Kirsten Rickert
It’s always a tricky subject – whether or not to invite children to your big day.
Some couples couldn’t imagine their wedding day without the
little people
in their lives there to celebrate it with them and will even pick out special roles, such as flower girls and page boys, to make them feel an important part of the day.On the other hand it may be that couples are planning an adult only ceremony at a swanky bar, restaurant of hotel that doesn’t permit youngsters. Or it could just be that a bride and groom would rather not risk a baby crying through their entire ceremony, particularly if they are planning to hire a videographer to capture the all important vows.
Image via Lacey Mae Designs
If your chosen venue is child friendly, start by looking at the numbers. Draw up your adult guest list and then see how much it would increase if you were to invite children. While for small families this might just add a handful of extra guests, others can rack up numerous additional invites. The question now is can your venue cater for this amount of guests and does your budget stretch far enough to cover the costs? If not more consideration is needed. Can you slim down the guest list by using an age cut off, such as over 12s only? Alternatively you could invite children from the immediate family only.
Another consideration is babies. Parents of newborns in particular may not be able to leave their baby with a sitter due to feeding constraints as well as separation anxiety. Therefore you may need to make allowances in these situations.
Image by Vine & Light Photography
Once you have made your decision it’s important to address your invitations in a way that will make clear exactly who is and isn’t invited. Unfortunately it’s not unusual for guests to assume children are invited or to challenge your decision when they discover their child has been excluded. If you do come up against this explain that your choice is down to practical not personal reasons and try not to be bullied into changing your mind to suit others.
If you aren’t inviting any children it may be worth pointing this out on the invite with a line stating it is an ‘adult only ceremony/ reception’. Meanwhile if you are inviting children you can address the invitation to the parent(s) and family.
Image via My Darling Flowers
If youngsters do make it onto your guest list you will want to think about how to keep them entertained during the day so parents and little ones alike can enjoy the celebrations.
For the meal decide if you want to seat parents with their children or alternatively have a fun and vibrant ‘kids table’. Also be sure to serve the young ones their meals first to keep them happy and prevent them from becoming too hungry. You may be able to save money and please your young guests’ palates by choosing a kids menu of homemade party food or pizza, as well as snacks and sweets which they can come back to at different intervals so they’re not made to sit at the table for too long.
Image by Adriane White Photography via The Wedding Chicks
When it comes to kids’ entertainment, the options are pretty much endless. If your chosen venue has the space, you could have a kids’ room with toys, games and activities overseen by a hired babysitter so parents can let their hair down. You could also give children goody bags with a present, puzzles and colouring pencils to keep them entertained at the table or during the speeches. For outdoor ceremonies garden games and activities can be great fun for both adults and children whether you choose traditional village fete style games, a classic bouncy castle or sports day inspired activities, such as sack races or egg and spoon relays.
