How to Accommodate Tiny Children

I'm having a buffet so I don't know about the meals, but that may be dependent on venue.

The children at mine are mostly between 1 & 5, so I am making a play area for them in the corner of the room for them to play, under adult supervision. I'm putting coloring books and some little toys for them.

Depends on your venue.

I would supply a chair for each person. A parent will probably bring a baby in a carrrier, but they need a place, other than the floor, to place it.

For children older than about 7-8 months, I would contact the parents and ask if they prefer a high chair or booster seat (for older toddlers).

Check with your venue re their policy for meals. 2-3 year olds are often fed from their parents' plate, depending on your chosen menu. They don't really eat that much.

Placing a box of animal crackers at each child's eat ensure they have something to nibble on, that they will love.

Our tiny children are not included in the headcount. The caterer has an option for a special meal for them but the mother prefers to feed them (will be 18 mo. and 3 yr). As for chairs our venue has high chairs.

Our venue had separate kids meals for children age 12 and under. You should ask your venue how they accommodate children in regards to meals. Then, you can reach out to the parents on your guest list and let them know what the options are and ask what they need. Since we had the kids meal option, we just had a spot on our RSVP cards for it and parents marked how many they needed (it was one per kid). But, you can also personally reach out to any parents that RSVP yes to let them know what the options are for kids.

If you have any doubts about whether a kid needs their own chair, a booster for that chair, or a high chair, ask the parents once they RSVP. I'd assume one chair per kid because a parent probably doesn't want a 1 or 2 year old on their lap the whole dinner.

Ask your venue about meals. We found most offered different meals and a lower price for kids. I would count a chair for each kid. Would you want to eat dinner with a kid on your lap? Ask the venue about high chairs and booster seats.

We are having kids and the age range will be 1 month to teenagers. Our meal is plated so it can get a little tricky. My brother who will have a 9 month old responded with a kids meal for her (we sent invites early because it's a destination for everyone and we need numbers early). I knew right away that was unrealistic as no nine month old is going to be eating chicken fingers! I won't be counting her in the head count but making sure there's a spot for her at their table for her car seat. My younger cousins are 3&5 and won't each eat an entire kids meal so I know my aunt will combine theirs for one meal and split them.

We will be including children in our headcount and have a separate menu for them. Now if a child is a baby who does not eat table food yet I am not including them in the head count. The kids will have chairs. Babies will be held by their parents during the ceremony or in their carrier and we will have high chairs and boosters at the reception. There is only going to be I think 2 babies under 10 months old. Most of the kids coming are ages 3 and up.

Sounds like you need to talk to your caterer

I would ask the parents of each child what they would prefer to do. Some kids eat anything (and parents would want a "plate" for them and some are very picky, and would just bring some snacks for the kid themselves.

My guess is your venue/caterer will offer a kid option or two that would be plated, or a discount for kids going through a buffet. Ask them what your options are, then reach out to the parents. Our venue doesn't count kids under 1 y/o and offers kid prices for anyone under 12.

Hope that helps!

We have a kids menu that I will be asking the few guests that have kids. Other than that, I'm leaving it up to the parents to entertain their kids. 3 are 4 years old, and the other 4 are between 3 and 6th grade. Proper hosting or not, I don't feel like I have to provide activities. They are grown adults and know what will keep them busy.

I asked each parent about seating and food for their children. In general, the kids 0-6 months did not need food or a chair but I did put that family at a table that was not full so they had room in the area for their stroller / car seat. The kids between 6 months and 24 months sat in high chairs and did not require a meal. Their parents either brought them food or they ate off their plates. The kids from 2-12 got their own seats without the full place setting (no glass or knives for them) and our caterer provided kids meals. The kids 13 and up were treated as adults.

Our venue considers anyone 10 and under a child and has separate pricing, and anyone under 21 does not get included in the open bar count.

@kissthekochs, when my daughter was 9 months old she had no teeth, but wanted real food. I had to start ordering her own chicken fingers because she was stealing all her older brothers food!

Agree with check with caterer , re seats and meals. BUT do not do a separate kids table. Keep kids with their parents. you do not want kids running around and annoying other guests.

If you know the children we'll make a call based on that

Our reception is quick and buffet style (approximately 2 pm start time) so we aren't counting children under 1 in our headcount, counting children 1-3 as 1/3 (because they'll eat something but not a lot), and children 3-7 as 1/2. There are some exceptions for kids we know eat differently like my friends 4 year old twin boys that eat like teenagers and my other friends 18 month old who is on a special diet and so won't eat food she hasn't prepared for him.

My wedding does include children (since between FH and me we have 3) my venue includes food for kids (which are basically "fancy" nuggets and fries) so i pay less for them and dont have to pay the open bar fee for them. I also plan on setting a kids area with toy bags for each kid so they can play there as well. However i did set a limit age for the food and seats, since toddlers normally have their own food that their parents bring, but the gift bags and kid area is for all kids