Wedding Source

how to keep the kids happy on your wedding day

You might not even want them there, they mess about, cry in church, take over the dance floor in the evening and can generally be a real pain but you need to think long and hard before deciding not to invite children to your wedding. The majority of parents will be offended if their little ones, or teenagers for that matter cannot attend. Very few parents, you'll soon discover at the mere mention of children not being invited, will welcome the idea of a child-free day.

So there's no getting away from it, you don't want to offend your friends but you don't want those little cuties wreaking havoc and spoiling your big day. There's only one solution and that's to be organised or shall we say for the kids to be organised. You need to plan ahead and pinpoint the times when the worst 'damage' can be done - such as during the wedding ceremony, during the wedding breakfast and in the middle of the speeches - and then make sure that at those times the kids are supervised.

We've listed below a few ideas on how to get through the day with children around, how to save on costs and where to find help.

	Hire 2 or 3 child minders/nannies to oversee children up to the age of about 10 - the local playgroup might be able to help out here. Discuss with them any ideas you might have to keep the kids occupied and 'pick their brains' for their ideas. They may be willing to bring along activity items to add fun to the day.
	Starting at the church - if there's a church hall next door this could provide a good place for a creche whilst the ceremony is in progress.
	When booking the venue, look for an ante-room or annexe attached to the main reception area, big enough for all the children to eat separately overseen by the nannies, allowing their parents some freedom to enjoy their meal and the speeches.
	Negotiate a price for 'kids' food. That way you won't be paying full wedding breakfast prices for their meals.
	Prepare a goodie bag for each child according to their age and fill with "quiet " things to do such as sticker books, crayons and crayoning books, dressing up dolls etc.
	For Mum's with tiny babies, ask the wedding coordinator for somewhere to feed and change their babies. This type of consideration will be well appreciated.
	If there are gardens attached to the venue and its allowable, hire a bouncy castle for the day (about £50) but ensure that the company offers Third Party Liability insurance as the venue will probably ask for a copy of the certificate.
	If the weather is likely to be cold, hire an entertainer - a clown, balloon sculptor, magician and have them set up in the ante-room after the meal. Even a children's video can keep kids quiet whilst the speeches are on the go.
	For older children, organise games in the grounds, if room permits - football, tennis, rounders and give the responsibility to the oldest child to oversee.
	Get the older children to help with activities.
	Let them have their time on the dance floor - arrange with the band/disc jockey to play a few songs just for the kids - a good way to get the party going and people on the dance floor, that way they won't get in the way when the serious dancing starts.
	So long as the carers know exactly what is expected of them there shouldn't be a problem, its surprising how the shyest child will mix with other children so long as their parents aren't far away.
	And finally, let them have fun, its what weddings are all about.