Children bring so much joy, but with this joy also comes a lot of mess, noise and craziness; so, it’s no surprise that many Brides are opting for a kid-free Wedding. Before you enforce your ‘no children allowed’ rule, here are 5 things you need to do.
The term ‘kid-free’ is so subjective and if you don’t make clear a specific age (ie. over 16 year’s old welcome), you could have 13 year olds attending your Wedding. Be clear on how young is too young and have this information included on the official invitations.
Include a contact number for guests to call if they have any questions relating to the invitation; but make sure it’s not yours! The last thing you need is for your distant relatives to call begging to bring their ‘extremely well-behaved toddler’. Delegate this to a Bridesmaid who can field all the calls on your behalf.
Making exceptions for some people and not others can lead to drama, so try to keep it as a blanket rule. However, if it is someone close to you who won’t be able (ie. a new mum) to attend without having the children nearby, think outside the box and make any exceptions discreetly. For example, look at letting the children stay in the Bridal Suite during the reception and hiring a baby-sitter to stay with them. The other guests don’t have to know, but the kids are close in case something happens.
If you’re having a Ring Bearer and Flowergirl, but are not looking to invite them to the reception, consider offering to pay for a baby-sitter to mind them while their parents join you for the celebrations.
If you have guests travelling interstate or overseas for your Wedding, you may need to rethink the ‘no-kids’ rule; alternatively, look at hiring a group baby-sitter for your guests who are coming from far away. You can keep it simple by hosting the children at a relative’s house, buying some DVDs and arranging for pizza and ice-cream.
Main image from Ashley and Evan’s wedding. Photography by Lydia Jane.
