Adult only reception

Hi Kate!

Do you have a wedding website? You could provide that information there in the FAQ portion like my FH and I did. You should also address invitations and STDs to the people invited only. So if it's a family with children, only put the parent's names on there. If you put "The Jackson Family", then that implies that the whole family is invited.

If you're doing online RSVPs, you are able to list only those invited, so when guests go to RSVP it will say only the names of those invited. If you have RSVP cards, you can word it: "we have reserved x amount of seats for you". That will also indicate that only parents are invited, no children.

Do NOT put 'adults only' on the invitations because that comes off as insensitive and a little rude.

Don’t invite children to your wedding.

Hi Kate, we placed on the RSVP card we had reserved (# of seats) in your honor. Basically meaning if someone has a child and they have 2 seats in their honor means the spouse only. We have a relative who is the queen of etiquette and that’s how she told me to do it 👍😉

I agree with the above comments! When you address your invites, only address it to "Mr & Mrs Smith" instead of "The Smith Family". I wouldn't put "adults only" on the invitations, though it can be listed on your website. I also like the previous suggestion of writing "We have reserved __ seats in your honor". Those steps should all make it clear that children aren't invited.

Hi Kate!
Depending on how you’re sending your invitations, as others have said the meal selections and reserve seat card would typically be a clear indication that it is an adult only event without having to say adult only.
Also, I have my wedding website through minted and they have areas on the wedding website where you could put basically an FAQ section about your wedding. Some people say that hardly anyone looks at that on the wedding website But I feel like if that’s one of the questions someone has who has children they would look there for the answer.

Kids are seen as an all or nothing thing. People do get offended but will not say a word to the couple if they are told to find childcare but there are children in attendance, whether the couple's own kids, a flowergirl or a random guest's child.


There is no polite way to say it is adult only except by word of mouth or on your website, and addressing the invite to adults and not entire family. If you designing your own invites, you can list the invited guests' names on the reply card to avoid confusion but you will still have people who don't read.

If you have a wedding website then you'd include this information on there. I had a FAQ page and one of the questions was Can I bring my children? and our answer was We love all of your children, but we have decided to make this an adults-only celebration. We hope you understand! I felt this was a nice, but to the point way of indicating that it would be an adults only wedding. For the invitations, I also made it clear by only putting the individuals invited to the wedding so for example if Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two children, but aren't invited you'd only put Mr. and Mrs. Smith on the wedding invitation. Then on the reply card, I put x number of seats have been reserved in your honor so in this case it would have been 2 which should have told their two children weren't invited.

We had an adults only wedding (only made exception for our flower girls) and we simply addressed our invitations to those invited by name. Our guests also pre-selected their entree choice when RSVP-ing so it was pretty obvious that kids were not invited.

Just invite adults 18 and up, or at least freshmen in highschool, or whatever you think is appropriate, for the party you want to throw. And tell people adults only, or adult behavior only. ( It is not okay to exclude 18-21 year olds because not of drinking age. Lots of people don't drink, but if officially adult they should be able to attend.)

Only invite adults. On your invitations, address them "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" or "Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones". If you do not put "and family", people will know their children are not invited. You can also put something on your wedding website standing it is an adult only wedding/reception.