Tag Archives: childrens table at reception’

Kids and Weddings – Yes or No?

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The best part about your wedding is having everyone you love in one place at one time. Aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends and (may times) their significant others. People with whom you have shared experiences, and looking forward to adding this to your list of fond memories. Then, the subject of kids comes up. The subject of children at weddings is a buzzkill for almost everyone …with or without children.

People with children don’t understand why you don’t want their little darlings around, why they have to exclude their children (part of the family) from a family gathering. They do not always want to leave their children out of the celebration and if there is travel involved, how long do they have to make arrangements for their children’s well-being? They consider it a huge inconvenience and some parents will be resentful.

But, some people with children don’t always want to travel with them or take them to a fancy event. They would like to have a night out without worrying about who ate their vegetables and making sure someone uses the right spoon. No highchairs, no temper tantrums, no whining…just a night out with your spouse and a glass (or two) of chardonnay.

People without children would often prefer you leave them at home, find a sitter and be done with it. They haven’t bonded with children, they don’t need or want the worry of children ruining their event with bad behavior,  out of control, touching things that don’t need to be touched. They are not as enamored with your children as you are.

Buzzkill.

Points to consider:

Kids are fun. they dance and laugh and eat cake. They will be all dressed up and probably not eat too much, anyway.

If you are paying $100 per person for dinner, how can you justify spending this much one someone who would probably rather eat McNuggets?

Kids are noisy – what if they can’t keep quiet during the ceremony?

Kids are messy. They will probably have filthy hands and want to touch the wedding gown or other things that don’t need to  be touched.

There is also the age thing: What is the cut off? There is a big difference between a 17 yr old and a 4 yr old.

The simple fact is that if you don’t want children at your wedding, state it on the invitation and make sure you are prepared for the fallout. If you are allowing children at your wedding, state it on the invitation and be prepared for the fallout. Either way you are not going to make everyone happy.

Make your decision (as a couple) and move on, you have nothing to explain and no explaining will make a difference, anway. It is your wedding.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

Do Children Make Good Wedding Guests?

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One of my favorite movie weddings is the fictional Mafia marriage of Connie Corleone to Carlo Rizzi. The Wedding is an elaborate backyard event with thousands of twinkling lights, traditional Italian music, children playing and dancing everywhere and the bride’s mother offering a rendition of  C’e’ La Luna Mezzo Mare. Despite the whole ‘family business’ thing, the movie shows a closeness of family that not only allows children at the wedding, but encourages them to dance, sing and enjoy the fun as much as the adults. Make no mistake about it: this is a family wedding. In reality, it is also a movie and the children were paid actors and sometimes children just don’t really fit into the grand scheme of  certain weddings.

So when should children be invited and when should they be politely excluded? Unfortunately there is no simple answer. For some couples, inviting the young offspring of their closest friends and family is a must. The whole family comes to the wedding and everyone enjoys as much fun as they can pack into the time they have together. It is a celebration and they use this time to sing, dance and  bond with everyone.

For some couples the thought of inviting children to their wedding is about as welcome as inviting ants to a picnic. Usually couples who don’t have a lot of smaller children in their immediate family, couples hosting formal black tie events and those who just think children do not belong at weddings. This is your wedding and you are allowed to invite whomever you want and plan the affair however you see fit. Don’t apologize if you want to omit children, it is perfectly acceptable and there are many ways to avoid conflict if you have chosen this path.

If it  becomes a hot topic and there is contention among your family, offer a solution before it hits the boiling point.  If you are having your reception at a hotel, you can book a room for the kids and plan a  children’s event at the same time with games, food and paid adult supervision.

If the wedding venue is not a hotel, speak to some of the parents who have children that are close to one another in age or relationship and find out if they would be interested in helping you organize a social event for the children off-site.

Honesty is the best policy to avoid disaster and hurt feelings. Talking to your invited guests about the no-children policy will help to open up the dialogue and give you a chance to work things out if they are having problems with the idea of leaving the little ones at home.

Being a parent is hard work and bringing them to a wedding is equivalent to an Olympic event. The parents may be glad you decided on an adults only evening.

If you have decided that children are welcome, include them in the fun.  Make sure there are some kid-friendly activities like a magician, balloon animal artist and one or two adults designated to ‘entertain’ the children and wrangle them if they become out of control.  Face painting sounds good but can be messy.

Instead of seating children at one table, seat them with their parents. Everyone knows that a group of ten kids can spiral out of control easily, not so much when they are wedged between their parents. Ask about a children’s menu- many caterers will oblige with special requests and it is often less expensive than having children eat the gourmet meal prepared for your adult guests.

Encourage the  DJ to play some songs the the children will recognize and enjoy. If they are dancing, they are happy and not disturbing the cake! There is nothing sweeter than to watch little ones dancing together in their wedding attire, or little girls dancing on their father’s feet.  It will make for a great photo opportunity that can later be included in your wedding album.

At the end of the day you have to decide what fits your budget, your style of wedding and your personal preference.  Make your decision early, stick to it and don’t offer any excuses. This is your wedding and you deserve to plan it however you see fit.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago