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UKbride Member Request 23 May 2018

A little advice re children at a wedding please! :) I'm a children's nurse...

A little advice re children at a wedding please! :) I'm a children's nurse and love kids to bits, they are my whole life, but I'm also on a budget. We don't have any children yet, but we have close friends whose children are our page boys and flower girls (they will be 2 and 3). My close cousin will be 12, but he's the only other child we'd really want there. It's possible that I'd have my friend's 4 year old as another page boy. We also have other cousins that we are not as close with who will have 8/9 year olds, and they are not very well behaved and I don't really want them at the wedding, at least not the day part. How do I tell people that it's a no children wedding apart from those in the bridal party and immediate family?

17 Comments
Rhian Priest-Dibben
Rhian Priest-Dibben 24 May 2018

I would state on invites just those who are invited, and maybe send them a little message saying the venue only allows a certain amount of children, or simply due to budget we have had to limit the amount of guests at the wedding during the day, but they are welcome to join in the evening

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

I’ve had a little note made to put in the invites explaining that we only have a selected few children (wedding party) so to arrange a babysitter so they can enjoy a child free day. There will be 8 children altogether at my wedding xz

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

We're employing a lady called marriage Poppins for the children that are coming to keep them entertained.x

Lucy Lewis
Lucy Lewis 24 May 2018

Hi I agree with the posts above but if anything is said say as you have stated in your post that you have a tight budget :)

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

Hey, I’m a teacher and have an almost 2 year old myself so very child oriented but we’ve invited only children who are family to the wedding (barely any and no little ones other than my son)

I love my friend’s children but I basically just told each friend when I gave them their invite. I’m sorry I couldn’t afford to invite some kids and not others and all my friends have completely understood and most are quite pleased for the night off! X

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

Google it - many polite ways of saying ‘only the children stated on the invites are allowed.’
It’s quite common, don’t stress and once you’ve made the rule stick to it. Break it for 1 and another will be upset. X

Lauren James
Lauren James 24 May 2018

For my guests with kids, I just put the adults names on the Invites and wrote on there that their children are welcome in the evening. My guests were chuffed as they won't have to be parents for a day 😂😂

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

If they are true family they will understand it's ok to just have emidiate family at the wedding ceremony in the day then all your other guests at reception at the end of the day it's yours and your artery day you do it how you want and have there who you want I would want my wedding ceremony to be disrupted by a child who,can't behave they are not attending a kids birthday party it's your wedding day and people should be ok and respect your desicion

Luke Sawtell
Luke Sawtell 24 May 2018

We are only having our children as page boy and flower girl to our wedding. If we had family children there would be quite a few and it would get expensive. We sent out 2 different invites for family's with children so the adults got a day invite and the child/children got an evening only invitation.

Amy Eager
Amy Eager 24 May 2018

We've only got 3 kids coming, 2 are part of the bridal party and 1 is a family member who will have to travel far.
We can't afford to have loads of kids!

Josslynne Masters
Josslynne Masters 24 May 2018

Our invites said something along the lines of ‘we regret that only named children in the bridal party are invited to attend but we hope you can use this as an opportunity to dust off those dancing shoes and celebrate with us’ nobody has asked or questioned it at all.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

You don't need excuses , don't invite the kiddies you don't want to be there . I Love kids but they get fed up at events and might spoil your lovely day.

Tiffany Carlile
Tiffany Carlile 24 May 2018

Make sure it’s clear.
I’d say something like:
“We can’t wait to see the TWO of you”
“Hopefully we will see you BOTH at the wedding”
If inviting couples.

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 24 May 2018

i sent out a find a baby sitter card with save the dates stating due to the sheer number of children in our family we were only having children in the wedding party attending i sent them out a year in advance, most people were cool with it as was a night out for most parents!

Danielle Marton
Danielle Marton 24 May 2018

I've invited some friends children & some family members who have children for the others I've not invited & for me there's a lot of friends & family who have children. Some have said that they don't mind if their children don't come as it's a child free night, others know about the cost. At the end of the day it's your wedding just do want you & your partner want to do :)

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 25 May 2018

Just tell them! My first wedding I had only 3; my step son who was a page boy and a friends daughter as a bridesmaid and her sister who they couldn’t leave behind! Everyone else was told no kids! Simples!

UKbride Administrator
UKbride Administrator 26 May 2018

I work with children too and don't want kids (regardless of age) at the day or evening except those included in the bridal party. It's my special day and I don't want it to feel like I'm in work and I also want my guests to have a relaxing day not having to worry about them (plus I can't afford £60 each for them)

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