Photo credits from left: Frank Amado via Beauty and the Groom, Dulwich and South London Mum's Blog
The controversial dilemma that runs through every couple’s head when it comes to the all important guest list. You’ve got two schools of thought: awwww look at those little sweet cutie pies or get those small crying pests out of ma face. On the one hand, you run the risk of having your wedding morph into a mini-carnival and on the other, you may see your Facebook friends list slowly decrease. If you’re a kids lover and have a big budget (make sure to check with the venue and caterers for child prices as that can make a difference between whether you’re going to Maldives or Phuket for your honeymoon), you don’t have any problems but for the sake of the guests, you should still take into the below considerations.
Children-friendly:
Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Joanna Walker Photography, Boston Wedding Blog, Joanna Walker Photography
1. If you have budget and feeling tres generous, hire a qualified baby-sitter for the children so that the parents can let their hair down knowing their baby is being looked after and only a few steps away. What’s even better is to have a separate children’s play room with a TV.
2. If you’d like them to participate in the ceremony, you can:
a) have a small table in the corner with games, drawing pens and paper to keep them occupied; or
b) provide a kid-friendly activity bag filled with goodies.
3. Prepare a kid’s menu. The last thing you want is to pay HKD1,k per child whose not going to appreciate a good piece of steak and the only foods they’ll enjoy are spag bol or fish n’ chips.
If you’ve decided on having a peaceful adult-only wedding (not accusing you of being a child-hater here) and want to dance till the wee hours, then here are some tips to being a graceful couple.
No Children Policy:
Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Premier Wedding Planners Scotland, David Murray Weddings via WeddingBee, Roger Overal Photographer, Karl Maasdam My Portland Photographer, Craig Mitchelldyer My Portland Photographer
1. DO NOT explicitly state in the wedding invitations that children are not allowed. It’s impolite and bad form so start by addressing the invitation to just the adults e.g. To: Shirley & Peter Smith and not Shirley, Peter Smith and Baby Tom. If the invitees are clued up, they’d understand your slightly cryptic message.
2. Drop hints before you send out your invitations.
3. Should the guests play dumb and RSVP for their kid as well, politely tell them that you’ve got budget constraints or the guest list is limited and explain that you’d feel bad if the kid was bored (do you really want wedding photos of yawning kids in the background or kids throwing a tantrum??).
So, whatever school of thought you belong to, remember there’s no right or wrong. This is your wedding so you ultimately have the last word.
