Children at your wedding
We read quite a few posts online about why people especially don’t want to invite children to their weddings. I get it, maybe you have doubts about those kids in your group of friends because you want the parents to have a nice day and kids can be pretty busy.
Still, we want to give you a few wedding tips before kids at your wedding, because really…. they can be so cool! The photos we show in this blog post were almost all of couples who don’t have children (yet) and yet were totally okay with young and older children being present on their day.
All tips in one blog post
Actually, I was planning to write two separate blogs: one for couples who are getting married with child in it and wondering if they should/will invite more children and another blog for couples who don’t have children themselves (yet). But I’ll just make it a single blog anyway.
And instead of giving reasons to invite children in particular (of course, you make that up), we want to “flip” some assumptions. Who knows, maybe that will make the choice easier to have a kid-friendly wedding.
Children running around during the wedding ceremony
“But then that ceremony, those kids can never sit still, can they?” I personally always find it so beautiful when the wedding officiant is completely attuned to children. We have experienced many ceremonies where children stole the show (very briefly) during the ceremony. This can transform just that nervous moment into a relaxed atmosphere.
Tip:For example, ask one of the parents if they have a good regular babysitter who would like to be present during the ceremony to watch the children. That may cost a few bucks (especially if you have them there to babysit the rest of the day, too), but it can take away any stress (if you feel that stress yourself).
Gift for a child
Or, prior to the ceremony, hand out some fun stuff to the kids so they have something to do. We have also experienced ceremonies where children were given a small task, such as signing deeds, paying attention to whether there was much laughter or bringing rings.
Quiet enjoyment with a babysitter
Of course, there are plenty of good reasons why having lots of kids at your wedding is quite a challenge. For example,“I would like to give my guests a day where they can enjoy themselves”.
It is good to know that finding a babysitter is sometimes more difficult than watching your own child. We know ourselves from experience that there is always someone who can babysit in the evening, when the child is tired anyway, but during the day it can be quite difficult.
Interim solution: allow children during the day and then ask them to go to grandparents after dinner? For example, during Ramon’s sister’s wedding, our Emmily went with my mother after the cake moment. As the bride’s sister-in-law, I was ape proud of that beautiful little girl with her gorgeous bridesmaid dress.
Who is going to watch them?
Another reason is, “they can be so busy and who’s going to watch them?” A very easy solution is to provide small bags with coloring books, markers (for example, the ones from Crayola Color Wonder, seriously, look it up!), some treats and possibly a scavenger hunt.
We also experienced once that the bride and groom gave the children a throwaway camera with a card with assignments. Then they have something to do and you get some crazy pictures to go with it.
Bouncy castle
We also had a wedding couple who had rented a bouncy castle: hours of fun. Not to mention professional puppeteers, costume parties and goodie bags for kids. An additional tip: just hire a nanny if you have quite a few children coming. For example, La Nou Nou.
Children and dinner at your wedding
Yes, of course, dinner is another one of those times to consider. Many venues have the option of arranging a children’s menu for the little ones. You can arrange them at the table with the parents, but sometimes it is also easy to have all the small children eat together, in a quiet place. The parents help out and fifteen minutes later all the tummies are full of tomatoes, cucumber, French fries and mayo.
Often children have an appetite much earlier than the older folks, so plan time for this during, say, the end of the reception. Dinner time around 5:30, depending on whether they just had a cake (and the age, of course) or not.
Think about it early on
In any case, we recommend that if you are very unsure, you consult with the parents. Perhaps they don’t feel like bringing their child(ren) at all or they have a perfect in-between solution of their own.
If you are getting married at a location with a lot of water, have a location close to a highway or a location with some other dangerous situation, it is helpful to notify the parents anyway.
Communication is always good. And until then, we’ll just show you lots of adorable kid photos. Who knows, you might get convinced ;)
We also have children
The first photo we show is, of course, of our own Emmily. How proud we were that we could and did bring that little girl to Ramon’s sister Kim’s (and Sander’s) wedding. We spent a few months looking forward to the moment when we would see her in her beautiful dress.
A large lawn, folding slide, sun hats and you can always find a guest who wants to stay with those little ones for a while.
Extra special: the first piece of jewelry a child receives. A wedding is a perfect time, right?
A proud grandfather with his granddaughter.
Some kids really don’t feel like it anymore ; )
The cutest bridesmaids we’ve come across so far (except for Emmily ; ).
Would you like to read more about children at your wedding? Then just click on the link, because The DJ Company has also written a nice blog about this.
