Dear Danielle,
We are planning our upcoming wedding and are working to compile our guest list. Many of our friends and family have children, and although we love kids, we picture our wedding as an “adult only” affair. How do we kindly ask our guests to leave the little ones behind?
This is a great question and one that we hear often at DW! To ensure that your wedding includes a mature guest list, there are a few steps to take.
First, only address the wedding invitation to the parents on both the outer and inner envelopes. Etiquette rules dictate that you should never state “no children” on the invitation.
Martha Stewart Weddings
Second, it is always polite to book a babysitter on behalf of your guests with children either at the venue or hotel. You may find babysitter listings at many hotels and if you are working with a wedding planner, he or she will most likely have recommendations.
Martha Stewart Weddings
Finally, if you have children in your wedding party, and they will be attending the reception, it is always nice to have special place settings for these select little ones. Recently, I have seen a bride set juice boxes and coloring books (and remove the wine glasses and knife) from the child’s place. Most caterers or venues will offer kid’s meals (often for a lower price than the adult per person cost.)
For post dinner dancing, again, it is thoughtful to offer babysitting so that the Moms and Dads can continue to enjoy themselves, kid-free.
As always, we LOVE hearing from you – please keep your comments and questions coming our way!
