Having children in your wedding can be fun – it is nice to see their smiles, hear their laughter, or see them play. But just like any other thing, too much of it can be bad – especially for an adult-focused, romantic, and solemn event such as a wedding. While children are sometimes not invited to weddings, oftentimes it is not practical to exclude them. Some guests can’t help it – it’s either they want their children to be a part of this celebration or they just simply need to bring them along as they cannot leave them alone in the house if a babysitter isn’t available or if they are traveling to the event.
If you know that some guests will be bringing their child with them, weeks before the wedding, you can ask a close relative to be in charge of monitoring the children. Most parents will be able to watch over their own kids adequately, but sometimes kids will become bored and rowdy. In this case, it may be good to gather the kids together in another room to play.
As for layout, as you will probably be using wedding place cards, have the guests whom you are expecting to be bringing kids sit at one table. This way, when they see and want to meet the other kids, they need not run across the room to meet and play with them. Put the kid tables near the door or a wall and avoid putting it at the center of the reception hall. If there are fragile items in your wedding reception (for example, wedding favors that are made of glass or crystal), you may consider re-arranging them or keeping them in another room first to avoid people accidentally breaking them. Be sure to keep these out of reach of children.
If your budget will allow it, get a nanny and a small adjacent room to your reception and have the nanny attend to the kids. This way, your guests will have more time to enjoy the wedding as their attention will not be solely drawn to monitoring their kids. Bring some games and toys to keep them entertained.
If you are not expecting kids but some arrive anyway, you should have a backup plan and have at least a small area at your reception where the kids can play. It can be an adjacent room if you feel the kids will be running around or make loud noises.
Having children in your wedding can be manageable. It may not always be easy, but with a few preparations or by having an alternative plan in case some kids show up, you can still maintain the stress-free and worry-free environment that a wedding should have.
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