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Planning a
Kid-friendly Wedding
Weddings and children don’t always mix. Most of us have
been to at least one wedding where Susie threw a tantrum in the middle of the
vows, or a reception where Jimmy stuck his finger in the cake before it was
cut.
So how do you include the little people in your life on your
special day without worrying about crying babies and toddler meltdowns? If
your wedding guest list includes anyone under the age of ten, you might want to
consider some of these tips on making your event as kid friendly as possible.
First, no matter how many children you expect at your
wedding, you will want to consider hiring a babysitter (or sitters) to help out
during the ceremony and reception. Find some local teens who like kids and pay
them to provide childcare for your younger guests. If the wedding is outdoors,
set up a separate children’s tent or play area, and if it’s an indoor wedding,
see if a room is available near the main reception hall.
Give parents the option of putting their children in
childcare for the ceremony or reception or both, and if the children’s area is
near the main reception, kids can participate in the wedding festivities as
much or as little as their attention spans will allow. If you would like
children to participate in the ceremony, consider keeping it short.
Next, stock the children’s area with plenty of
entertainment. Coloring books, puzzles, crafts, building blocks, balls,
videos, and bubbles (for outdoor weddings) are a few ideas to get you started.
Finally, don’t forget about the food! Most children have
trouble sitting through formal reception dinners and would be much happier with
pepperoni pizza, so order pizzas to be delivered to the sitters. Provide
plenty of juice boxes and goldfish crackers to get them through the event. And
when it’s time for dessert, consider cupcakes instead of wedding cake for the
little ones. Ask your bakery to provide cupcakes, or make some yourself in
advance. Cupcakes don’t require plates or forks, so the kids will be content
to gobble them up and run back to the toys, leaving adults to linger over the
chocolate amaretto filling in your wedding cake.
By providing some extra activities for your younger guests,
you can ensure that everyone will enjoy your special day. Kids will have fun,
parents will relax, and no one will be distracted from your beautiful ceremony
by bored and fidgety children. With just a little advance planning and
creativity, you can have your cake and your cupcakes too!
By Rochelle Buchwald
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