CHILDREN at an ADULT Affair!!

The simplist thing is on your invitations put "Adult Reception only". If those who feel offended by it with children then they don't have to come. I know for my sister's Wedding she had a 2 year old as her ring bearer and my 1 year old son was only there for the ceremony and pictures because she wanted them in the pictures. My dad had one of my brother's babysitters at the ceremony and she brought the ring bearer back to their house and watched him. I asked a close friend who offered to watch my son while my husband and I enjoyed the night. Luckily I found out from my dad if the venue for my sister's wedding was child friendly or if I should find someone to watch our son, if not we would have just left him at home with my in-laws whome we live with. A friend of mine only invited children to her service and had an adult reception and none of her guests felt offended that she didn't want kids at her reception.

I also decided not to have children at the wedding.One of my BM asked is she could bring her children and I said no,but I told her about a 24 hour daycare.

What happens if someone just has a bsby. This isn't a child, rather a baby. One of my ushers in my wedding and also my husbands supposed best friend is getting married in August 1, 2008. We are due in the second week of June. The baby will be about 6 weeks old and obviously the baby has to be where the mom is as it is a newborn. He told us no children affair not because he wants it elegant but rather because he wants all of us not to leave early because of bed times for children. I got really upset because this means I am not going to the wedding and he doesn't seem to understand the need to have a mother and newborn together at 6 weeks birth. What would you do in this situation?

I do have to agree with the last poster though about if an invited guest to your Wedding has an infant and they need to be close to their mothers letting them bring the baby with them. I can understand from being a parent to a Toddler (my son right now is 19 months old) and he always has to be near us. It is different if a parent to an infant has the baby there since more than half of the time the baby will be a sleep in their strollers anyway. If you're worried about the baby steeling the attention of the Bride and Groom than that's one thing, but Ili is right though about not making a new parent to an infant feel like they can't come just because they have a baby. Your caterers won't charge anything for an infant being there or sitting in a stroller. I've learned this first hand that most caterers won't charge for children 5 and under and if you have a child on their lap or stroller and they even just eat cherios, they won't charge you for a child that young to attend your event.

Ili C....you bring up a good question. One of my friends told me that if she had an infant at the time of the wedding, she would just bring him. I really didn't know what to think about that. It probably wouldn't be a big deal for the most part, because she would have carried the baby on her in one of those sling things. And I'm sure if the baby was crying she would leave the room. And she wouldn't breastfeed at the table or anything. Pretty much all of my friends have young children now, and I find that each parent is so different. Some wouldn't think twice about leaving a 6 wk old baby for a couple hours back in the hotel room with a relative baby-sitting. Others have 4 year olds they don't want to leave their sides...ever.

Whether it's right or wrong for them to request that you don't bring the baby doesn't matter, because it's their decision, not yours. You can do what's best for you as far as whether you attend or not, but you'll need to respect their decision. It's their day.

This is a very interesting topic. I really would like to have my younger relative and my friends kids (alot of which I'm uncle Aaron) at my wedding. On the other hand I have never taken my daughter to a wedding. I just always figured it was an adult type thing. I don't think that there is anything rude in making sure everyone knows it's an adult only affair. just don't forget that there are people who think of these type of things as a family affair and it may not even enter their minds that kids would be a hinderance. Don't worry about being rude this is your day, you get to make the rules.

I thought maybe a guys opinion would help a little here, hope it does

I know this intitial subject was started far out, but since its been bumped back to the top. My original wedding, I didn't want children (Infants I could understand tho), more the "running around without the parents age", but my fiance's family said they wouldnt come if I had that since our son was 9 and my brother 7 (Both in the wedding party), they should be able to bring their's. I relented and I regretted it with every fiber of my being. My fiance's nephew (I think he was 8) went missing (Was actually hiding thinking it was funny) and I had 40 hysterical adults running all around for 2 hrs of the 3 hr reception. I understand the hysterics, because I felt both scared and somehow responsible, (and later angry, when I found out he was doing it on purpose, hiding under a 6 inch riser laughing, dont even know how he fit) but it is a terrible memory covering 2/3rds of what was to be our wonderful day. This renewal will definitely be Adults Only, unless the child is too small to walk!

Hi,

I am soooo ANTI-children at adult events!!! Our reception is

immediately following the ceremony (no 2-3hr gap). We are putting on

our invitations "Adult Ceremony with Adult Reception Immediately

Following", just so people know not to bring their kids to either one! The parents should know better anyway, besides, most parents

want a night out without them, and will make arrangements accordingly. If not, all of us have every right to call them and make

it clear that the invite was only for them, not their kids

I see this was posted in oct but i to am going to comment. When we did our invitations i put an insert that had the rsvp information and state on it "this is an adult only event" I didn't feel rude mainly because we are on a tight budget and i don't see paying for a plate that isn't going to be eatten...that and parents tend NOT (this isn't meant in offence) to watch their kids at the weddings we've been to and we don't want parents drinking and then driving with kids in the car. The only child going to be there is our son and other then that the youngest of his siblings is 8 and isn't a troublesome kid.

I would just out and out say that you do not want children attending. It is after all, YOUR wedding day and frankly what you want goes. My invitations are about to be sent out and I have told everyone that I am not allowing any extra guests or children to attend either the ceremony or the reception. And we actually hired a bouncer to keep any party crashers out , My fiance and myself do not feel the least bit guilty about this since we told everyone long before that we are keeping the ceremony small and that we will NOT tolerate any gate crashers. It is our wedding and we will not have it ruined. You should do the same, do not let anything/anyone stand in the way of your happiness on this most special of days!

Hi! Oh my gosh, I am so worried about this - Do you have any advice: I DO NOT want children at my ceremony or reception, but there are 7 children in our immediate families all 6 and under. My brother has 4, my sister 2 and my fiance's brother 1. I am anticipating WWIII if I just put on the invitation "Adults Only" and am still scared of children running around if I provide a babysitter at the venue (which is also the hotel). I agree with previous posters - parents with children really don't try to calm them down at weddings and they all get so offended if their kids aren't invited. I don't want to hear screaming when I'm saying my vows or trip over running children during our first dance!