Adult Reception

So far my guests have been thankful for our plan to host an adults only wedding, it gives them an excuse to get a babysitter and enjoy their night. It's best to pass on the news via word of mouth, and through your wedding website.

FH and I worded it on our website as such: "We love children, especially yours! However, we know that weddings are not fun events from a kid's perspective, and we also want all of our friends and family with young children to be able to party the night away with us! Therefore, our wedding will be an adults-only celebration."

Just invite the adults and don't include the kids' names on the invites. If people RSVP for more, follow up individually.

I don't even have kids but I dislike the wording that Sue used - it's meant to sound nice, I get it, but why assume that a kid can't have fun at a wedding? My nieces and nephews have a blast dancing. And my siblings are perfectly able to have a good time with them there. It's presumptuous to think you're doing someone a favor by forcing them to either decline or spend extra money on a babysitter.

Technically, it is considered against etiquette to indicate on invitations that states "Adults only." You should address the invitation to only the people invited - "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith," rather than "The Smiths" or "The Smith Family." You can also indicate on the RSVP card that only two seats are reserved in someone's honor. If someone tries to RSVP for their kids, they're the rude ones, and unfortunately you'll have to tell them that it's an adults only event.

I'm going to disagree with Sue's post a bit. I think that weddings can be really fun for kids, and in fact, all of FH's nieces, nephews, and young cousins can't wait! I wouldn't necessarily frame it in a way that makes it seem like kids won't enjoy it, because that's not really the issue.

What if on the invitation I did "Adult Reception to follow" ? I'm having a hard time on wording it. It's somewhat important that people only RSVP for how many we put on the card...... the numbers are going to be a little tight as it is. I just don't want to offend of my guests

I'm putting an (x) seats reserved in your honor area on my RSVP so people know how many seats they have. We will have a few, specific kids at our wedding, who FH and I actually know, and who are old enough to behave.

We didn't put it on the invitation, but on the reception info card included with it. We wrote "the reception is limited to adults only"

"adult reception to follow" always makes me think it's going to be X-rated, ha. Or that kids are allowed at the ceremony only.

Put what Nikki said about seats being reserved. If people RSVP for more than what you put, follow up individually.

ETA: Princess Consuela, you get me.

Like I said, it's considered rude and against etiquette to put "Adults only" or any variation of that on the invitations. That being said, people do it. If people RSVP for extra people (kids), unfortunately you have to call and clarify.

Either way, people will be offended. Reasonable people should not be.

We used "While we love the little ones, this is an adult only affair"

I agree with JP AP, address the invites to the specific people you are inviting. Do not include the kids names or mention and family.

If someone RSVP's for more people than you have allotted seats to, you will have to make a decision to either let that number of people attend, or call them and explain that while you would love to invite everyone you know, you are only able to accommodate close family and friends.

I put "Adult Reception to Follow" on my invites (Ooohh I'm a rebel and an etiquette breaker lol) and I also put

____ Seats are reserved for you

on the RSVP cards. I wanted to over communicate. So far, no issues.

The only small kids we are having at the wedding are the two that are in it and the FG baby sister. (Mom doesn't have anyone to keep the baby)