Again and again we are asked by our bridal couples: How do other bridal couples deal with the topic of children at the wedding? Should we invite families with or without children? But how does it work getting married with many children?
For some bridal couples, this topic is very difficult, especially if you already have many friends and family members with children or if you already have children. Many couples want a wedding party until late at night. Depending on the venue, this is not possible at all with children and many parents leave the wedding party very early, which the bridal couples often find very unfortunate. In this blog post we would like to show you a few possibilities and share our experiences.
For our bride and groom Annic & Lukas this topic did not lead to discussions. The two of them have three children and it was clear to them from the beginning that they would never celebrate the big party without their children. And if their children are with them, then all the children of friends and family should also be allowed to celebrate.
However, the big question, what do you do with so many children, in different age groups, during a wedding? It is important, if you want to have children with you at your big celebration, then entertainment and childcare should be provided in any case. So the children have the most from the wedding and keep this in great memory.
Entertainment and childcare are needed so that you and your guests can feel comfortable to leave the kids to themselves and enjoy the wedding party to the fullest.
At the beautiful wedding of Annic & Lukas, there was a special program for the large number of children, which can also be implemented with smaller budgets. During the wedding ceremony, the children were allowed to place small plants as a ritual and color in labels for them. After the ceremony, an apero could have been held outside because of beautiful weather, and took place next to a large playground. Enough snacks and drinks were already there for the children. Games to play outside can be easily borrowed from ludotheques for entertainment.
Professional childcare would be another idea for an outdoor activity. These combine fun and games for the kids of all ages. Many set up small teepee tents, prepare a painting and craft table, maybe even a small bouncy castle, there really are hardly any limits to creativity here.
After the successful aperitif, the guests could check into their hotel rooms and freshen up a bit before the big dinner. In any case, it is highly recommended to choose a venue where you have the possibility to book everything from the wedding ceremony to and including accommodation. This is less inconvenient for families with children, because they can go into the room in between or put the children to bed and still enjoy the evening by watching them with a baby-phone.
In the banquet area there were two extra large tables just for the children, at which they were received by the caretakers. This allowed the parents to enjoy their dinner to the fullest. The children were attended to and immediately served their children’s menu with the adults’ appetizer. When planning children’s tables, be sure to book childcare providers. Especially with younger children, as they often won’t stay seated at the kids’ table without their parents. In addition, the children are always pretty quickly finished with their dinner and the parents may just be on the second course. So that the parents could continue to eat comfortably, an extra children’s room was set up at the wedding of Annic & Lukas. And even the decoration was definitely not only a beautiful sight for the adult eyes, but also for the little guests. They especially had fun with all the balloons and the balloon garland and the sweets of the candy bar.
A great option so that the children can still let off steam, the guests and parents are not disturbed and thus everyone is happy, is the additional room. In the children’s room, a small cuddle and sleep area was set up with mattresses so that even the smaller guests can just snuggle in and sleep when they feel the need. In the second room there was a big screen with the possibility to play movies and entertain themselves with various other games.
Only if there are different options at a wedding, which are also adapted to the children, all guests can really enjoy the day to the fullest. So if you choose an option with a lot of children, think carefully about how you want to organize the day. There are various small restrictions to be aware of and it can definitely raise the budget a bit as well. However, from our experience, rarely is anyone angry if the bride and groom invite the guests without children. However, it may be that not all guests can come if they cannot bring their children.
In any case, we find both options beautiful. The main thing is that the bride and groom can be relaxed and know that the guests with older and younger children also feel cared for and taken care of. In the end, it should be a nice experience for all guests.
If you need advice on how to best combine and arrange a wedding with many children, we will be happy to help you. Contact us now for a free consultation.
