Half brothers and sisters at the reception

Not sure if it's good to have then attend one and not the other. Are you not having a kid friendly wedding?

View Quoted Comment We were not planning on having any kids there at all but we now feel torn because they wouldn't be in any pictures and they should be they are family but the reception is definitely not kid friendly

I would have them at the ceremony and not at the reception if it’s not kid friendly😊

View Quoted Comment

I think you have an out because you can have them there for the ceremony but not reception because if you have some kids unless part of the wedding party some people may be upset but at least this way you can let others know they are only there for the reception. Will the parents be ok with that?

You can't invite someone to the ceremony but not the reception. That's very rude. Are they supposed to show up for the ceremony then leave while everyone else gets to stay? Who is going to take them away?


I'd look into a sitter if you don't want your grandma to be burdened. Maybe they can discreetly leave with the sitter after dinner. Or you could do family portraits with the kids before the ceremony, have the sitter take them away before the wedding starts.
Good luck

When we were kids, and went to weddings of teachers or scout leaders, who did not have kids at their wedding is except their scouts or some students, we always had either a couple of parents, or a couple of babysitters, who would take us to a local sandwich shop with make your own ice cream sundae bar. Or a pizza shop with short films and cartoons. We would not be invited to the all adult receptions. We never wanted to go to 5 hours of adult stuff, had more fun with what we got. A kid oriented wedding is fun for kids. But with few kids, all sitting quietly for hours listening to adults talk and dance for 5 hours, with fancy yuk food, is not so great. Look in to a sitter to take them someplace fun, before going home.

All guests should be invited to the whole event or none of it. By asking them to leave for the reception, you’re also asking their parents to leave. Just don’t have them there at all.

The reception is to thank the guests for attending the ceremony, if they are invited to the ceremony they must also be invited to the reception. Invite them to everything or nothing at all.

I'd mention it to their parents, letting them know that it would be terribly unfair for them to leave it to your grandmother to deal with them. They can either decide not to have them there, or for ceremony only, but they've got to deal with their kids themselves.

I'd talk to your parents (whoever is the parent of the half siblings) and see what they think is best. Can they hire a babysitter to come hang out that day so your grandmother doesn't end up watching them?

View Quoted Comment

It is 100% okay to her to invite her siblings and not other children. They are her immediate family. If people are going to be upset she invited her family and not a random child she has no relationship with, that's on that person.

View Quoted Comment

True but it seemed to me like she was looking for a way to not have them at the reception due to her grandma possibly having to have them so I gave that as an option for an easy way out. My thought is that if she has a relationship with other children then why would they be excluded. Either way for each wedding I say do what you want regardless of what others may say.

I would 100% have them at the ceremony. My best friend went on a cruise to get married without his kids and he regretted it. They will remember this and I think it would mean a lot to them.

View Quoted Comment This is not true, though you read it often here. The reception is NOT a thank you for coming to the ceremony. It is a part of the wedding, a d optional. But in fact it has always been acceptable etiquette to have a very small number at a family only wedding, or a ceremony in a far off place, and nearly all or all of the guests to the wedding reception have not been to the ceremony. That would make no sense, if the reception we're a thank you. The wedding reception stands on its own as an optional part of a wedding. You can have just a ceremony with no reception. You can have few at the ceremony and lots of people at the reception. Reception is Not a thank you for anything. I read it often on WW, but not true. And lots of people post to correct those who call it a thank you.