Here’s a great question we received from Nicole who asks,

[su_quote cite=”Nicole”]Help! How do we inform our guests that our wedding is a no children event?[/su_quote]

Whether or not to invite children to your wedding is a hotly debated issue but here’s some good news: there is no right or wrong answer. Whether or not to invite children to your wedding is completely up to you. Some couples decide to invite adults only so they can have a night out and stay late, or as a way to cut costs and stay on budget. Others choose to invite children so everyone is invited and adults do not need to worry about finding a babysitter. Either way is great! I’ve been to many weddings with children in attendance and many weddings without; either way, it’s always a fun time. However, if you choose to have an adult-only event, it is important to make your intentions clear on your invitation — and to say it with grace. Instead of stating, “No children”, let’s say it with a little more grace.

The easiest way to tell guests children are not invited is on the invitation when you address it. For instance, if your invitation is addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, one should assume only Mr. and Mrs. Smith are invited to the wedding and would need to arrange a sitter for their children. On the inside envelope, you can make it even clearer by writing, “John and Mary Smith”.

Note: If children were invited, it would say “The Smith Family” and show individual family members by name on the inner envelope.

Again, guests should assume by wording alone that this is an adult-only reception.

Most people will abide by this. If there is still any doubt, you can also include a small line on the lower corner of the reception card that says, Adult Reception, which no one can ignore. This really solidifies it without shouting “NO KIDS”. :)

There is nothing wrong with having children at your wedding, either. And if the random couple brings their baby or toddler, just shrug it off. Don’t let it get to you. Kids at wedding can be really fun, too — they get a kick out of seeing everything, they wait all dinner long for cake, and they make exceptional dancers out on the dance floor!

But I can see it both ways. Children or not — totally up to you, and no one will judge you either way.

Are you inviting children to your wedding?

xox
-E.

P.S. Do you have a wedding question for us? Submit it here and it may appear in an upcoming post!