Kid "free" Reception

I found this article https://theweddingplaybook.com/adults-only-wedding-wording/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTo%20give%20all%20our%20guests,down%20and%20celebrate%20in%20style!%E2%80%9D

Maybe that will help gives multiple suggestions of things to put on your invitations.

Or if you are planning on telling people in advanced just explain its a child free wedding, you really don't have to explain your wishes for your event - if people don't like it then they don't have to come.

We have a FAQ tab on our website, and one of the questions addresses children being invited. We've also made sure to only put the adult's names on the invites and RSVPs. That way they also know that the invite is extended only to them, and not their children. If you're doing classic RSVP cards, you can put "We have reserved x seats in your honor". Your guests will see there are only 2 reserved spots for them, meaning only they are invited, no children.

We're not allowing kids under 10 for the same reason. So many of our family and friends have newborns and toddlers and it would be an actual daycare if we allowed kids haha. We put it on our wedding website and told people via word of mouth since it's not recommended to put it directly on your invitation. The note on our site says "we are unable to accommodate plus ones or children under 10 due to our reduced guest list. All invited guests have been specified on your invitation envelope." Also we're doing online rsvps, so when they search their name, they won't see they're kids names available to rsvp, so that should be another hint.

Some guests were great and were happy for an excuse for a night without kids and others weren't happy at all and thought it was wrong that we were excluding their kids. I completely understand if they can't/don't want to find a babysitter and can't come, but at the end of the day, its your day!

We just said no children in general rather than an age cut off. We had a FAQ on our website with the question can I bring my children and our answer was while we love everyone's children we have decided to have an adults inly wedding. You shouldn't come out and say this on the invites though. Instead you should only address the invites with the names of the people you are inviting for example: Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones. On our reply card, we also put x number of seats have been reserved in your honor.

You list only those invited on the invite envelopes. If someone replies with kids under your cutoff, you contact them immediately to clarify.


It's easier on everyone to pick an age such as no one under 18 so it doesn't come across as playing favorites when you invite an unruly 14 yr old but a well behaved 10 yr old is at home with a babysitter.

We aren't allowing kids except the ones in the wedding for the entire wedding from ceremony to reception. We are putting on the invitation as well as the website something like as much as we love the little ones the ceremony and reception will be an adult only celebration thanks in advance.

View Quoted Comment I also found through my cousin wedding that some people think its wrong. When in actuality weddings are typically adults only. They have been for years and seems like they will be for years to come. So I don't understand why people get upset. I've been to 5 weddings and all 5 weddings had a 21 and older reception. I've also been to a wedding where the bride didn't even allow the kids in the wedding at the reception. Now I'm Sorry but I think thats a bit ridiculous to not allow the kids in the wedding to go to the reception.

You can invite kids in circles, but you shouldn't separate families. If someone has a 2 year old and 10 year old, you can't only invite the 10 year old, it's pretty rude in my opinion.

However, if you want to invite just your sister's kids or your immediate families kids you're allowed to do that. But if you let one sibling bring their kids, you need to let them all.

We're considering allowing some of our further out of town guests bringing their kids, but overall I'm absolutely against kids being at weddings. In my experience parent's use it as a night out and don't pay as close attention to their kids as they should.

As others have suggest, be specific on your invite by naming only the people invited and on the rsvp section make sure to leave somewhere to make it even clearer (i.e. x seats reserved in your honor). If they reserve for the kids anyways, then you just have to call and let them know the invite was just for them and that you understand if they're unable to make it.

We’re also having a child free wedding / reception for EXACTLY that same reason! Definitely do not want a as bunch of kids running around, screaming while their parents aren’t paying attention to them. We put on our invitations “Adult Ceremony/Reception.” When we announced our engagement & people were asking about our wedding, we told everyone that we were having a kid free wedding (only kids that will be there are those in the wedding party).

We have a FAQ tab on our website and have one of the questions asking if children are welcome - this is how we answered.

"Although we love your little ones, we kindly request that both our ceremony and reception be adult only. We want our guests to be able to celebrate without having to worry about little eyes and ears. We appreciate you making arrangements ahead of time and leaving the kids at home - We hope you will see this as an opportunity to let your hair down and really enjoy the party with us!"

We made sure to dress our guests specifically on each RSVP. So people with kids, we didn't mention the kids, only the parents!

Making up some random age cut off is only going to cause drama. Say you make the cut off 13, but a family has a 14 year old and a 12 year old. They can bring one child, but the other isn’t welcome? Kids are an all or nothing thing.

You can find many phrases/wordings online for the correct ettiquite. Good for you! Parents do not supervise nor discipline their children these days

We’re allowing kids, but my brother and SIL did not. All you have to do is refrain from inviting them and add it to the FAQ on your wedding website. If people ask, you can say that you’re having a child free event. It may ruffle some feathers, but it’s about what you want. I agree with previous commenters that kids should be all or nothing. You cannot tell parents that one child is acceptable while another is not. 18 is a common age cut off for weddings. At 18, they are considered adults.

I think it's a know your crowd thing. All of my family and friends' kids are either over 15 or under 4. No one in the middle and no one has a 16 year old and a 3 year old which is why we decided a cut off would be fine

I'm planning on putting Adult Reception on invitations. Only kids allowed will be the ones in the wedding party which is flower girl and ring bearer.

I'd think that having a random age cutoff would cause drama if it separates families. I'd recommend just doing adults only.

Kids are usually seen as an all or nothing thing. Guests will never tell the hosts but will talk among themselves about being offended when some kids are allowed..including flower/ring children..but others must stay home. Easiest way to not offend your guests is be consistent.

View Quoted Comment I totally agree with you. The one couple we are inviting let's their kids do whatever they want. They let their kids run in the street. They're kids are horribly behaved all because the lack of parenting. They are just one of the 5 parents we are inviting that can't control their kids and the exact reasons we don't want kids at all at the wedding.

Our wedding is at a ballroom that has several apartments available to book on the property. I have a lot of nieces and nephews that could add up to potentially be 20+ guests alone. For that reason, I am allowing them to attend the ceremony but not the reception. I am going to book a 2 bedroom apartment for the night for the kids to hang out in on the property for the reception and order them pizza and snacks. Now I know all venues are not like this, so for that I would address my invites to the specific intended attendee and maybe list adult only wedding on your website if you have one.

View Quoted Comment Right! Then on top of that parents, especially American ones (I'm American myself so I can speak on this) get an attitude QUICK when another adult steps in and asks the child to stop doing something. I will NEVER forget the day I attended a wedding when I was in my early 20s. I was sitting in a chair minding MY OWN BUSINESS and then a child I NEVER seen in my life comes up behind me and starts shaking my chair back and forth. I turn my head around and asked "could you please stop?" His mom came up behind him and said "I'm standing right here! I can tell my child to stop, you don't need to."


Um what?! Then you shouldn't have even let your child get that close to me! Lol! Girl, bye.