For most couples, wedding means family. And family, means KIDS! But finding a way to have them enjoy the day without nocking over the expensive champagne can draw a blank. Lucky for you, there's a bunch of people way smarter than us out there who've spent the time figuring it out. I've just poured the web for you, and found some great ideas - and added some of my own - take 'em and go, or use them as a launching point!
Find something for them to do. Create a kids’ corner or table. Depending on the ages of the children, activities might include coloring books, building blocks, books and games.
Assign a “keeper.” This has two parts. First, ask an adult to be on “kid patrol” during the ceremony. Ideally, this would be someone who is well-respected in the family. Their role is to gently ask parents to remove children who are screaming or being disruptive during the ceremony. The second part is to ask some responsible teens, or even pre-teens to help keep the younger children engaged during the ceremony. This can include anything from dancing to reading stories and doing activities.
A children's menu is a must! Kids prefer common foods (like pizza) to gourmet food (like stuffed mushrooms), so have familiar foods for them to eat and everybody will be happier. (Your flower girls and ring bearers will be thrilled to fill their tummies with familiar foods!)
Include the kids Make them feel like they're part of what's going on, not just shuffled off to another room. At my aunt's wedding, my sister, cousins, and I were invited up by the priest at their church to light all the candles on the dais. After the wedding, we each got to help put them out again. This made us feel very important to the whole day. After the ceremony, my aunt asked me to take care of her bouquet during the reception. My job was to make sure the flowers didn't squish and that it was in hand for photos. I felt so important and crucial to the whole day's events.
some camera love
9 years ago