Help - No Kids allowed at wedding but people are bringing them anyway!!!

Just a thought. Are other family members hiring baby sitters? If so you might be able for a few extra bucks have them watch your cousins children too. Let your cousin know you have arranged for baby sitting for the children since you are not having any children at your wedding.

There are companies that specialize in babysitting at special events. May want to see if there is one in your area just in case the cousins aren't the only guests that show up with their children.

I have already researched some babysitters and I like the idea of hiring a babysitting service but where should they babysit the kids? In my hotel room? Their hotel rooms? I know that the parents will want to be close to the kids. Now I just have to get up the guts to tell my cousin and reiterate "no kids" to the other family members with kids Thanks again for all the advice it is really helpful. Brides helping brides it is such a great thing =)

Your hotel probably has a conference room they can rent you. I would call them and see what they can do.

Really... Stick to your guns. Renting babysittes and conference rooms is all another expense that you should not have deal with. This is your day. Like someone said earlier, you should not have to stop ur reception because someones child injured themselves or decided to have a meltdown. I will have children at my reception, but if I decide to change my mind before we send invitations, so be it. You are not the first or last couple to have adults only reception. Good luck!

Just tell them that it is your wedding and if you have made the request of no children then it should be respected. And if they aren't listening offer a number or two of a babysitter that could stay with them during the wedding. It is your wedding and you are paying for it so it is very rude of them not to respect you.

I don't, and I repeat, don't want kids at my wedding; however, I am making the exception for out of town guests and family. I was told that the proper ettiquette (spelling?) is that when you address the invitations you should be clear on who is invited. So if you are allowing kids you would address the envelope/invite to the "Smith Family," but if you only want the parents, then you would put "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith." If you really want to make it a done deal, on the response cards put down the number, that way they know it is only the two of them, not any little ones. You do have to consider out of town guests and family though...

NO KIDS NO KIDS THAT WHAT YOU SAID SO THAT WHAT IT IS I HAVE THE SAME PROB. MY FAMILY IS FROM OUT TOWN BUT I HAD TO TELL MY AUNT AND THE REST OF THE FAILY AND FRIEND THAT I DONT HAVE MONEY OR SPACE FOR KID AND I DONT WANT THEM RUN AND JUMP AND GETTING IN THE WAY BECAUSE THEY SAY YOU ONLY HAVE ONE NIGHT NOW THE KIDS THAT ARE IN MY WEDDING ARE COMMING BUT THAT IT. MY BF IS VERY UPSET SHE SAID HER LIL PRINCESS WAS COMMING I TOLD HER NOT AT THAT CASTEL LOL SHE WILL GET OVER IT OR SHE WONT BE IN THE WEDDING IT MY DAY I HAVE TO MAKE A STAND I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD AND I WOULD NEVER TAKE HIM TO WEDDING IT;S NOT HIS PLACE

One compromise my sister made at hers was that she provided a babysitter during the reception. This way the kids were entertained and they weren't disrupting the reception.

I completely agree that people should abide by the wishes of the bride and groom.

I am also not having children at my reception. My invitations dont go out till oct so I personally called and emailed all my guests that have children and explained to them its a formal dinner ect and we would appreciate if there were no children under 12. I am so sorry you are going through this I hope people will just understand where you are coming from and respect your wishes.

Thanks GIRLS!! I am so glad that I am not the only person that feels this way. So I did respond back offering up a really good babysitting service that does arts and crafts with the kids that is also Licensed and comes highly recommended...but they don't feel comfortable with leaving their kids with a stranger. My cousin said you will understand one day when you have kids but the truth is my fiance and I have made this decision together that we do not want children. Our children are our dogs how would they feel if we brought our dogs their wedding or formal gathering?

It is such a pet peeve of mine when parents say to you "You'll understand when you have kids". I want to say, well guess what...MOST of the parents I know aren't that self-centered and obnoxious. Not one of my friends is pulling something like that and they ALL have young children (I just counted-12 kids under the age of 5). One of my friends is leaving her 6 month old behind, and didn't think twice about it. Sorry for ranting. Yes, I know I don't have kids yet, thanks for pointing out the obvious...but if everyone else can leave their kids with a sitter, why can't YOU?? it's bull!!

Some people are so inconsiderate. I don't want kids at my wedding and FH does we put in our envelopes adult only reception and his aunts he told it was ok to bring their kids I told everyone in my family no kids and they understand. I wish he didnt invite them but that was what he wanted to for his guest list and since he has younger siblings whom are younger we had to invte them since they are inthe wedding but I really dont think children belong at weddings and you pay all that money and they barely touch the food you are right for not wanting them there and for me its not a money issue so much its just that I dont want them there at least you and your FH are on the same page Good luck and stick to your guns. I hate when people who have kids act like that because you dont . Having kids doesnt give you the rite to be inconsiderate those are their kids not yours Just enjoy your day and don't let any thing or anyone ruin it

I decided to make exceptions for children, but only for my out of town guests. Everyone else can find a sitter, they live close to home and aren't traveling far.

We have the same problem. We are have a wedding in Las Vegas of all places (out in the desert @ Valley of Fire)- if that doesn't spell adult wedding I don't know what does. And some of my friends have not only invited children, but suggest that they should somehow be involved in this wedding. My own future step-son is not going to be there. I was so shocked at this assumption that I was literally speechless. Now I have to find a way to tell my friends and family there will not be any children involved in the wedding. 3 newborns came into our family this summer and I have a friend with a 2 year old grandson, what is a girl to do?

As the owner of a wedding sitting service, I really think that you should consider hiring someone to keep the kids occupied. If you don't want kids there, it's totally up to you because it's your day! If you don't want to pay for the service,have your guests pay for it.

I would have no problem having kids at my reception, except my cousin's son is a terror! At her brother's wedding,he was throwing his toy cars at the cake and almost pulled down the centerpieces at the head table!! He only stopped running around like a maniac when my brother yelled at him because no one else would. I don't want anyone to have to spend the whole night watching after him instead of enjoying the evening.

We're getting marry in May and we are thinking very hard about no children at our wedding only the kids that's in the wedding, but we do know if we decide to no one under 12 I hate to here a crying baby when the bride is coming down. This is our day not the children.

I have attended two weddings where a child ruined the wedding ceremony. One was a small child whose mother sat close to the front of the church and her child cried and screamed the entire time the wedding couple were saying their vows. No one could hear. I wanted to cry myself because I felt so bad for the couple. It was the bride's cousin's child. It was all everyone was talking about during the reception. Weddings are usually pretty expensive and to have your day ruined by a screaming child is not the memory making experience you want. Also, the kids run wild and monopolize the dance floor with their craziness. It can get dangerous. I raised two children and I never planned to take them to a wedding unless I was told it was OK to bring kids.

I'm in a sticky situation with this too. I'd be the first person in my family--aunts, uncles, cousins--to have a wedding where kids weren't invite so i'm not sure how that will go over. meanwhile, my friends with kids are already deciding that they wouldn't bring their kids even if they were invited because they want to go and have fun as adults for an evening.

also, while it's fun for the kids and i've seen many of them having a blast at past weddings, this is a day that i get to think about me. i want to share it with the most important people to me. and quite frankly my cousins' children who i've only met once or twice and have never spent significant time with just don't rate. (i'd rather have a very small wedding altogether but would probably be excommunicated if i only invited a few of my aunts and uncles who i'm particularly close to)