Having children at your wedding can be a fantastic experience. Your own children, nieces, nephews and god children are such an important part of your life that you want them to be a part of the most important day of your life. Little bridesmaids, flower girls and page boys look fantastic in pictures and make everyone go ‘ohhh how sweet’. However…children get bored very easily. And when they get bored they can get up to mischief. I have put together a few tips on how to stop children getting bored, and let them be a special part of your wedding day. A bit of planning will incorporate any children into your day and give them, and you, a great stress free time.
Draw up your guest list. This is tricky with adults let alone children. Who do you include, and who do you leave out? There will be some children who you will definitely include (like your own children). Beyond that it is your choice. If your best friend has a ‘challenging child’ bear this is mind. She would prefer to enjoy your wedding without having the stress too, so why not suggest they find a sitter? You could also invite the children for only part of the day, leaving the parents to enjoy the rest of the day alone. Also if you are inviting your niece, that doesn’t mean that you need to invite everyone else’s niece.
Childrens outfits. Beautiful bridesmaids dresses with lots of frills and lace, fresh flowers in little girls hair and braces on boys are beautiful. But are they practical? The bridesmaids and page boy outfits might need to be worn for many hours so they will need to be comfortable and suitable for the whole occasion. Ballet pumps are gorgeous but if your reception is in a field and it rains, they won’t last very long.
Give them a job. Children like to be involved and feel like they have an important job to do. Depending on their age and confidence you could ask them to hand out the order of service, or bags of confetti. They can show the adults to their seats or older children could do a reading or sing a song. It would be helpful to ask them to the rehearsal to practice walking down the aisle or performing their reading.
Special part for your own children. If you are getting married or remarried this is going to be a major part of your children’s lives. By involving them you are showing them they are an important part of your lives and will be an important part of your future. Having them involved in the big day will help them with this change. The vicar or priest can mention them by name during the ceremony. They could stand at the front during the vows, and even give their mum (or dad) away.
Seating plans. In the church seat parents with young children near the end of rows so they can make a quick exit if needed. At the reception use a similar idea for small children, but maybe have a designated table for older children with activities such as colouring, small (quiet) games and sweets. Make sure this is near their parents so they can keep an eye on them.
Reception. Make sure there is a child friendly option on the menu. They will enjoy it more and it is normally cheaper. Don’t forget to ask for highchairs. You can also give the kids special jobs at the reception such as passing around the guestbook or handing out the cake.
Time out from the children. Creating an area where children can have their own space to play can work really well. The older generation may have had enough of the children after a few hours and be starting to think children should be seen and not heard. Providing some entertainment which is appropriate for their ages will keep them happy, their parents happy and the other guests happy. It might also be a good idea to set a curfew, so the little ones leave before the anyone get too drunk.
I hope this helps you to enjoy your Best. Day. Ever!
How can Hardy Soft Play Hire help?
We have a great choice of wedding entertainment to keep children of all ages happy and busy. A wedding themed soft play area is perfect for toddlers and younger children, a bouncy castle is great for children of all ages (or even a larger one for adults) and we also have a selection of giant games. If you would like to give your guests a real treat how about one of our Fun Foods, such as a Candy Cart, Popcorn or Candy Floss?
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