Whether or not to have children attend your wedding is a seemingly endless debate. There are a few ways to handle the issue but, regardless of what you choose, more than likely, there will be those that are offended or frustrated with your decision. But it is your wedding, your choice, and your right to do what you see best. You should, however, make a uniform policy, and stick with it, regardless of what others say.
Here are some of the choices you have:
- You can include children and enjoy every moment with everything that comes with having young ones at your wedding. Make sure you can laugh at anything that comes along with this, and don”t be surprised if a child begins to shriek during the most romantic part of the vows.
- You can arrange for child care during the ceremony and have them come to the reception. This would reduce the chances of the ceremony being interrupted but would still allow families to be together at the less formal time afterward.
- You can stipulate an adults only wedding. Many parents are quite understanding of this rule, but you will need to be prepared that some couples you invite may not attend if they cannot find a babysitter or prefer to not to spend that time away from their kids.
One thing you will want to stay away from is to invite some families with children while excluding others. This is sure to cause resentment among the guests. If you do opt to invite children, it may be a good idea to ask parents to bring along coloring books or other quiet activities to keep young ones occupied and entertained, or to provide them and have them distributed at the door.
