It’s fairly common that couples opt for a child-free wedding reception these days, usually to keep the numbers down, but also to ensure that the parents can relax and enjoy the day themselves, instead of tending to a bored child for a lot of the day.
Most wedding guests accept the “we’re only inviting adults” reasoning, and the majority are quite happy to leave the kids with a child minder for the day whilst they attend the wedding ceremony and reception. Unfortunately there will always be someone who claims they can’t arrange a baby sitter, which leaves you with the awkward decision of either stating that it’s unfortunate but you stand by your “no-kids policy” or you tell them that one child won’t make a difference and let them attend. The kid will probably be bored and nag their parents to take them home anyway. Maybe !!?
So what do you do if your siblings have children ? Perhaps a niece and nephew only rule ? They are of course part of your immediate family, so you’d want them to be there during your special day. Then of course there are bridesmaids, flower girls and page boys, presumably you’ll have children that you would like for these roles.
Whatever you decide to do for your wedding, having bored children nagging their parents, is the last thing they’ll need when trying to enjoy your wedding day, so why not consider some entertainment for the kids.
There are a few options for you, hiring children entertainers is one, you could easily book a professional entertainer for a set time during the day, perhaps for an hour or two. Assuming the wedding venue has an area that the entertainer could take the children, just a corner somewhere, then they are kept occupied and enjoying themselves.
Another thing to consider though is the range of ages between the children you’ve invited to the wedding. If you are looking for children’s entertainers, then you’ll need to ask them about the services they provide, and whether or not their performance can include children of a variety of ages. Clowns, puppets, face painting and balloon modelling is often fun for little children, but maybe a magician could provide entertainment for all ages,
Have a chat with the children entertainers available in you local area and see what they can offer. Also talk with the wedding venue and ask them what other couples may of done in the past, you’ll want to avoid loud music and screaming children too close to earshot
If you don’t have a large group of children at your wedding, and maybe just a few younger ones, then kids party bags are often enough to occupy them, at least through the meal and speeches which is when you’ll appreciate them being quietest the most.
They’re guaranteed to find the speeches dull, so to avoid any children from falling asleep or nagging their parents, a party bag with some puzzles, small games and a little treat inside is a great option.
Happy Wedding planning !
