“Kids: To have them at the wedding or not? That is the question!”
Written by Brandee Gaar,
Owner of Blush by Brandee Gaar
So many of our brides struggle with this decision. You don’t want over tired kids crying all night or sugared up children taking over the dance floor but more often than not, the subject of a kid-free wedding can turn sour quickly. Here are some tips on how to deal with this from several angles…
If you truly don’t want to have kids at the wedding, near the wedding or in the same facility…
Be clear about it on your invitations. A great way to word your invite is to put a line on the bottom “Adult Reception to Follow”. Also, don’t forget to address the invites specifically to the people invited. Ie. Mr. and Mrs. John Smith instead of The Smith Family. Undoubtedly there is always one RSVP card that still adds a child in and the best thing to do is simply call the guest and explain that children are not invited. Always tricky but a phone call is the most polite avenue as email can sometimes be taken in the wrong tone.
If you have several out of town guests with children, asking them not to attend is difficult as they will likely travel with their parents to the event location and the parents may be stuck without a sitter. In this case, you have to be very tender with the subject of children attending the wedding. 2 Options we suggest…
Hire an Event Sitting Company! We do this often and it is such a great way to entertain the kids in a separate room and allow parents to enjoy an evening off! Get a small banquet room near the reception room, hire a sitting service that handles large groups (we recommend Super Sitters, Inc.) and you’re done! The sitting service will provide games, crafts, activities, etc… for the children. They have tight security and are licensed and bonded to ensure a safe, fun night for all! You can even add things like a face painter, clown, magician, etc… The kids will love it and the parents will too!
Keep the kids entertained at the event! So the kids are attending the reception and you’ve decided you’re okay with this but you still don’t want them running crazy! Here are some suggestions to keep them busy and having fun throughout the night…Create a “Kids Only” table. Cover it in butcher paper and put colorful buckets (in your wedding colors of course) in the middle of the table and fill with kid-friendly items such as crayons, colored pencils, stickers, markers, etc…so they can decorate their table. Another option is to fill the buckets with different candies and snacks such as lollipops, goldfish, gummies, M&Ms, etc… You can also make personalized buckets for each child to include a coloring book, stickers, word search, etc… This will keep them busy all night! Just remember not to put anything in the buckets that will stain (paint, glitter, or red juice). For older children (too old to color but too young to enjoy the bar), make a camera scavenger hunt for them! Give each of them a camera and a list of things to take pictures of such as A Woman Not Wearing Shoes or The Bride Dancing, etc… This will be fun for them and keep them occupied most of the night! It may also give you some really fun pictures to remember your big day!
If you do decide to have children at the wedding, also remember these few tips:
Order children under 10 years of age a kids meal. They will enjoy it more and they are less expensive!
Make sure to ask your DJ to announce that the garter/bouquet toss is for all single adults ages 18 and up! Having a 4 year old catch the bouquet is not always as cute as it soundsJ If you are going to have a lot of children, you can add a Teddy Bear Toss right after the garter/bouquet ceremony. The bride can toss a bear for kids only and whoever catches it gets to keep it!
Whatever you decide, the most important piece of advice I can give is to stick to your decision 100%. Don’t let Aunt Sally bring her 3 kids because she caused a stink about it but not let anyone else. This will lead to hurt feelings on the event night. And overall, be understanding. Kids can be annoying when they aren’t yours but they are still little angels to their parents (your friends/family) so tread lightly and keep it upbeat! Most of your guests will be excited either way just to celebrate with you!!
