It's a question every couple battles with when planning their wedding. Should you have children at your wedding? Here are a few things to think about before making your decision!
Make the decision...
This is a decision that only you and your partner can make. It's your day, so it is totally up to you whether you what vibe you want and whether this includes children. Before making this choice, it is important to think about things such as your venue, which may not be child friendly. Is the venue child friendly? For example, a trendy inner city bar may not be the best reception venue if you are planning to have little ones running about. Deciding whether or not to have children present on the big day should be one of the first decisions you make, as it will affect a myriad of your other wedding choices.
Kate & Ben's wedding - see it here
Make it clear...
It is important to make your choices and know your policy as early as possible in the planning process. Start with your save the dates and invitations. If you are choosing not to invite children, make sure you approach this in a tasteful way. For example, state the names on the invites so its clear who is or isn't invited, or if you aren't comfortable with being so direct, a short and sweet sentence should suffice.
"Unfortunately we cannot accomodate for little ones - thank you for your understanding!"
"In order to allow all guests, including parents, an evening of relaxation we have chosen for our wedding day to be an adult only occasion. We hope this advance notice means you are still able to share our big day and will enjoy having the evening off!"
Are there shades of grey?
"Can I invite some children but not others?" "Can I have children for the ceremony but not the reception?"
Now this one is a hard one, having some children invited and not others can pose issues with some guests, but if you choose to make this decision, approach it delicately and you might need to be prepared for some questions or disappointed parents.
"Sweet dreams to children under 16.."
"Children at the ceremony, we'd love them on the scene. Reception time, however, is an adult's only theme."
"So we can keep numbers to a minimum, we can only invite a small number of children to our wedding. Enjoy the night off!"
Management...
If your choosing to cater for little ones, there are a couple of things to think about and arrange to keep tantrums at bay.
Ashlee & Mark's wedding. See it here
Keeping them entertained: How are you going to keep children settled and entertained for the entire day? Games, puzzles and a toy area are a good place to start. It is also worth thinking about long speeches and long ceremonies and whether or not children are going to sit quietly for long periods of time.
Babysitting: Are you going to provide a babysitter to look after the children so their parents can have a night off? This is a great option that parents will love but, be prepared for it to take a large chunk of your wedding budget.
Seating arrangements: Will there be a children's table or will children sit with their parents? Will they be under control all sitting together or will a tantrum ensue? Having one babysitter or adult to each table is one way to try and keep tantrums at bay if this is what you decide.
Now you've decided whether or not to have children at your wedding, click here for some seriously adorable flower girl and ring bearer outfits,
