24
March
Babies at the Bash
The Pro’s and Con’s of having kiddos at your event
Blog
One of the biggest things clients stress about is whether to allow kids at their wedding or event. Many guests just assume a wedding is a family event and that everyone is invited. However, these days many couples are wanting smaller weddings or they are having their wedding at a venue that might not be very kid friendly or they might just want it to be an adult only affair. When making this decision there are many points to consider. First would be budget, can you afford to invite all of the kids? This does not just relate to the food cost but you will also need to have seating for them, china, glassware, flatware and favors for them, etc etc. Second would be, do you know many children? If you only have a couple it might not be an issue vs having 17 neices and nephews and many friends with children. Third do you and your finace’ “want” kids around. This is your wedding after all and you get to make the final decision.
One of the things that I make sure my clients take into account is, the venue. There are many venues that can be unsafe for children. You decided on a gorgeous property with a beautiful lake or ponds and waterfalls. These can all be very dangerous for young kids without supervision. Many people think oh there are 200 people here my kids will be fine to run around on their own, somebody will see them. However, this is typically not the case once people start drinking and dancing and the kids are left to entertain themselves. This is why many venues now will require childcare for any children at the event to ensure the little people will be safe. There are many companies who offer services like this. A local one is NW Nannies they will entertain all of the kids during your event and make sure everyone is safe and having a great time.
If you do decide that you want an adults only affair, it is important to make that clear to your invited guests from the outset. Include a note with your save the date and invitations that the wedding will be an adults only event. If you feel that some of your guests may take offense at this, call them personally and discuss your decision with them. Remember, this is your wedding and the final decision is yours, and your alone. Having kids myself and being a planner I can relate to both sides. However, if I were invited to a wedding I would be thrilled to have a date night or even a weekend away from my kids to attend a wedding. If you are going to invite the kiddos rememeber that the parents of those kids might not be the wild party animals you were expecting. They will be most likely drinking less if at all, and having to take kids outside to play or entertain them and then most likely will be the first people to leave.
Another option is to have a seperate area for the kids to be at, This is a great option if you hire an event nanny service. For instance if your wedding is in a hotel ballroom you can rent a smaller meeting room or a hotel suite for all of the kids to stay at during the reception. They can have food, watch movies and play games yet the parents can easily come and check on their kids to make sure they are ok. This gives many parents piece of mind and lets them enjoy the party as well.
Whether or not you include children in your wedding is entirely up to you, and there is really no wrong answer to the question. If, however, you do decide to stage an adults only wedding or event, be prepared to possibly explain to any parents why you have made that decision. Some of your guests may be less than thrilled at the prospect of hiring a babysitter for the night, but then again, some of them may look forward to a night where they can let their hair down knowing that their kids are safe.