Wedding Planning: Kids or No Kids?

This is one of the hardest questions to answer when wedding planning. After all, there is much to consider. Many parents appreciate the date night, but you must also consider the expense and inconvenience placed on parents who are attending numerous wedding events throughout the summer months.

Recently, there was a very pointed article in Time on the topic of inviting kids to weddings. The author, Chaunie Bruise, took a very strong stance for issuing an invitation to parents, even if it means asking that the kids come after the dinner portion of the evening. She mentioned the cost of babysitter and the gift costing far more than a ‘date night’ would be for her and her husband.

With that perspective in mind, consider the obstacles faced by the parents invited to your wedding.

Trouble Leaving Kids at Home New parents often feel quite upset when having to leave a baby with a sitter. When the wedding is a family event, the idea of leaving the child with parents or siblings is taken off the table, which means entrusting someone else with the infant. That can be a big favor to ask of the parents joining you on your wedding day.

Far Distances Considered It’s not just the new parents who have reservations, either. When you are inviting guests from hundreds or even miles away, you must consider the difficulty that they face when the kids aren’t invited. Do they leave them with an overnight sitter at home? What if they don’t have a sitter trusted with the responsibility of such an extended babysitting job? Who can they have watch the kids nearby the wedding venue and will that mean having an additional hotel room?

Offer Assistance If you really want to have an adult-only reception, you should do what is best for you, but you might want to consider helping parents out, particularly if they are traveling long distances to celebrate with you. Look into hiring a couple of trusted child care providers to work for the hours of your wedding. Offer them a reasonable flat fee for the time, and then suggest to parents that they bring their kids and have them join the ‘children’s party’. If parents offer a tip to the sitters, it is an added bonus and everyone is happy.