No kids at reception?

No. You really shouldn't do that anyways, it's rude. If I were a parent I would not be okay with going home to drop them off in between ceremony and reception, that's absurd.

Is there a gap between the ceremony and reception?

Just make it adults only for both.

Please don't do this. If I was invited to your wedding and had to take my child home for the reception, I wouldn't come back.

Double post

If a person is invited to your wedding, they should be invited to all parts of it. The reception is a thank you for attending the ceremony. It's rude to thank some guests and not others just because of age. Especially since sitting through a ceremony is boring as hell for most kids. You're basically telling them they have to put on itchy clothes and sit quietly in a room, but no dancing or cake because they're little burdens.

Also, do you really expect parents to arrange a sitter to arrive at the moment they drive home from your ceremony, drop the kids off and then turn around and go back to the reception? Best case scenario they'll skip the reception; more likely they'll decide not to bother with the whole thing.

Just decide what you want more: kids at the ceremony or a kid-free reception. Don't try to have both.

I'm not a parent but I would find this to be a huge pain in the ass. Do I let my kid sit in the car during the reception (obviously not)or does my so or myself drive hypothetical kid home to a babysitter and then drive back? (We'd probably just skip the reception depending on distance)Or do we leave the kid alone in the hotel room, if we're traveling, or just switch off watching the kid? Just decide if you want a child free wedding or not. If you half ass it like this then you're going to put more pressure on your guests

There's no way to do this, unfortunately. People will have to take their kids home, and won't come back.

I wouldn't make only one kid friendly. Imagine from a parents point of view, you get your child all dressed up for half an hour and then have to drive home and drop them off with a babysitter then drive back. It's inconvenient and honestly kind of rude to your guests with children.

There's a wedding I was going to like that. But it's kinda far away and I don't want to come for 30min ceremony then come back home bc I have a child.

Uh, how are you going to put that into place? What will the parents do with their children? If you actually do this prepare for a lot of people to either reply no on your RSVP or leave right after the ceremony. Children is an all or nothing situation you either invite them and they stay or you don't invite them at all. And honestly I think it's pretty rude you would even consider this as an option.

You don't. Either the kids are involved in the whole day or they aren't involved at all.

We're doing a kid free wedding and so far anyone with kids is on board.

Wait, so people actually bring kids to weddings that are not in the wedding??

I've never been to a wedding that had children there that were not in the wedding. And the only reception I've actually seen children at followed the wedding immediately (same place). Additionally I've never actually seen it on a wedding invitation (no kids).

As a parent, it's not something that would have even crossed my mind (to bring my child to either).

Sorry I'm not more help, I'm just shocked that No Children is not a given.

Good luck

Don't do that. You don't want kids at the ceremony - you run the risk of them crying and fussing during your vows.

It adds an extra layer of hassle, inconvenience and confusion for parents - how will they get their children home? They will have to leave your wedding. What if they are OOT? What if they live a long drive away? Why would they get their kids all dressed up for a 20-minute ceremony and then take them back home?

What will you do if (and when) some parents ultimately DON'T take their children home and you end up with unplanned-for kids at your reception?

Bad idea. Too confusing. Make the wedding child-free or child-friendly, one or the other.

I kind of feel like this is an all or nothing situation. My brother asked if the kids could come for the ceremony. Ummm you're going to drive an hour for a 30 min event and drive back and miss two hours of the reception? How about no. He agreed it was a dumb question once I said it that way. We don't want kids, end of story.

Yeah, this is almost like a tiered reception. Invite them to both or neither.

No kids allowed at either is the best way to handle this situation. Thats what I'm doing.

@MadeFromHisRib, not sure what weddings you've been to, but the vast majority of the ones I've been to have had tons of kids.

I am a mother of three. I would never make a child sit through a ceremony and then tell them they are not allowed to go to the reception where there is food and fun. That is cruel. Kids deserve to have fun just like the adults do.

Nope. The ceremony is the part that kids hate (actually, I think most of them hate all of it, ceremony and reception). I don't know why you'd think it's the place to invite them.

Everyone is invited to everything. If you don't want kids, you don't want kids at either.