How to include children in your wedding day
‘Kids at a wedding?! You’re mad!’
It’s a controversial topic and it doesn’t suit everyone. BUT if there are some special little people in your life, whether they be nieces, nephews, family friends or your own bundles of joy, here are some ideas as to how you can include them in your big day.
INVITE THEM!
This may sound very obvious… But if you haven’t specified on your invitations that children (or specific children) are invited, then their parents won’t necessarily know! Make it clear from the outset so there is no confusion later on.
Putting the child’s name on the invitations will make them feel special and included!
Involve them in the ceremony!
There’s nothing cuter than little Page boys and flower girls walking down the aisle as part of the wedding party. This really allows them to feel a big part of the day and to have some responsibility! It can help to keep them focused during the ceremony. They know they have a job to do, so might not get so bored! They can also get involved with the bride or grooms prep, be in all the photos and you could even get them a nice little ‘thank you’ gift.
Top Tip - if you have very young children at your wedding, make it clear to the parents that you are happy for them to leave the room during the ceremony if they need to! If you’ve chosen to have children at your wedding you will expect a bit of noise during the ceremony, but you don’t want a screaming baby to drown out you declaring your life to your future wife/husband!
Provide Entertainment
You don’t have to provide entertainment, more often than not, the parents of the children will have brought some supplies to ensure their children won’t get bored throughout the day. However, it’s a nice little touch for all guests. There are so many options for entertainment at weddings, and they tend to suit both the adults and children! Garden games or crazy golf are great for summer weddings and allow the young and old some form of entertainment while the couple are off having photos taken! I’ve seen bouncy castles, magic shows, soft play areas, life size Jenga and even gaming buses! The sky really is the limit, and you’ll soon find out who the big kids really are!
Top Tip - if you are concerned about having to watch the kids on your wedding day, you can hire wedding Nanny’s to take that stress away. You can even set up a ‘quiet area’ in the venue for children when the party really gets started!
Make them a goodie bag
Speeches don’t tend to take more than 30-40 minutes, however, you’ll want to make sure that the children are occupied for a period of time. A great way to do this is to make up a little goody bag or activity pack. This can include snacks, crayons, colouring paper, little games or bubbles if your venue allows. If budget lets you, go the extra mile and personalise the activity packs. This can also act as a place card for them!
Top Tip - Depending on the ages, you may even choose to have a ‘kids’ table so they are all in one place and not getting up and down all the time to see their friends! If this doesn’t work for you, sit families with children together to help keep them entertained for longer!
