Parents, are you offended at Adults Only receptions?

I'm not a parent.. and when I become one, I don't think that someone choosing to have an adults-only wedding would offend me. I'm 100% all for each couple hosting the style of wedding and reception that they want.

But, I think part of the reason people do get offended is because many consider weddings to be "Family Events", even mini-family reunions sometimes, not Date Nights. And family events include the children...

Now, this won't explain why a BFF from college might get ticked that she can't bring her kids....

I have two ages 16 & 4, I am not offended @ all. I wouldn't take my 4 year old to a wedding anyway, #1 he doesnt know what is going on & #2 he would be taking up space from an adult that does know whats going on.

That's dumb behaviour on your college friend's part. Breaking up a friendship over something like this might mean the friendship didn't have much of a basis...

I worry about this too. I have a lot of family out west that I want to invite, but some of them have young children and we want a children free reception. So How can I tell them " I would love for you to fly 2500 miles to come to my wedding but oh by the way can you leave the kiddos at home!" Not sure how I am going to cross that bridge when I get to it! I wouldn't care so much if they were teenage but I am talking like newborns, and toddlers. We just recently went to a surprise birthday party, where there was dinner and drinking and dancing, well supposed to be dancing but all there was on the floor was about 6 kids playing and running around and about tripping up other people.

Question, does the no kids rule apply to babies? They don't require food, or an extra place at a table, they won't be running around breaking things. It seems most of my friends I was going to invite to the wedding have either just had babies or will have babies by the time of the wedding, and the thing about babies is that if they are being breast fed you can't really just leave them with a sitter... But I was also just at a family friendly wedding where babies screamed through the entire ceremony...

If any OTT guests bring kids, we will provide a sitter. That being said, really the only OTT guest that has kids is my cousin and her hubby and I'm not sure if they're coming anyway, but my mom was going to let her know it's adult only but we will provide a sitter if her kids make the trip down (even though he oldest is 13 or 14)

I am a mother of a 2 year old and I would never want to take him to a wedding. IMO weddings where there will be drinking and partying are no place for children. If it was a backyard BBQ or something casual then maybe, but overall he doesnt need to go. The only issue would be if I traveled to go to the wedding...

Yeah, I wouldn't mind newborns because they need to be with mom, but toddlers and children can be home with someone else.

We invited children to our wedding, it was nice for my son to have other kids to dance with and play with, but several parents didn't bring their kids, even though they could, for a nice night out and to take full advantage of the open bar. So I don't think anyone should mind really. Its not fair for ANYONE to take something personally about YOUR wedding. My own family is against alcohol due to their religion, but they came to support me, and although an open bar wasn't for them, they just didn't drink and enjoyed everything else.

Edit: our wedding was acceptable for children because we didn't invite any rowdy guests that we couldn't trust with alcohol, we kept it small and intimate, with children friendly music and dancing and stuff. It was very family oriented, but I know that's not for everyone.

I'm a mother, my daughter is 2 years old, and I would never assume that my kid was invited to the wedding. I am having only immediate family's kids at our wedding, or else we would have 50 kids instead of the 10 invited. We have been to 3 weddings since my daughter was born and we brought her to one, only because it was a casual backyard wedding. My daughter was 3 months old when we went to one for the weddings. It was the first time I had been apart from her. I cried for about 15 minutes leaving her with my mom but I got over it. It's nice to enjoy a child free evening once and a while.

It would depend a lot on the situation:

1. My sister had her wedding in Mexico, when my son was still breast-feeding. If her wedding had been adults-only, it would have been the equivalent of telling me I wasn't welcome at my own sister's wedding. There is no way I would have traveled two days each way to be there, and then relied on local people (whose language I didn't even speak) to babysit and call me when I needed to feed the baby. Yes, I would have been offended.

2. If a local relative had an adults-only wedding, it would not have offended me. Even if I had still been breast-feeding, I could have missed one feeding without issues.

3. If a friend in another city had an adults-only wedding, it would not have offended me. Even if that precluded me from going, I would have recognized that she couldn't take into account the situation of every guest she wanted to invite.

I don not haver children but appreciate that you asked this question. I want to have an adult only reception and my dad (who is helping to pay for the wedding) want to invite the whole world and/or invite some kids and not the others. I say my 5 nieces who are all it, the ring bearer, and his sis and thats it!!! I honestly think that the parents can let loose and have more fun without the kids

I have 3 children.. and i would never be offended by an adult only reception. Sometimes you need time away from the kids! lol....

Me & FH are not on the same page about kids at weddings. The only children I wanted to have are his daughter & 2 neices who are in the briday party but he is thinking all of our friends are going to be bringing their kids too! Ugghhh. We don't have that kind of money and I don't want to knock people off the guest list just so so and so can bring his 3 kids!

I think the adult only reception is not offensive but stupid. I have two boys myself. I am getting married and it is about joining of two families and children are apart of families. My wedding isnt a big party for people to get drunk and I dont think any wedding should be. It a celebration not a party........ If someone invited me and I could not bring my kids I more likely wouldnt go. Id rather not be around a bunch of people that are getting drunk and that is their way of celebrating anyways..

I don't think it's offensive at all, I have a friend who had a baby cry during her entire ceremony & yes it very loud on the video. I've also been to a wedding where a 6 year stuck his finger in the cake. The only kids allowed are those who are traveling from OOT & they are very well behaved.

We are having kids at our wedding, since most of our guests with kids are from out of town (i.e. having to drive 5 hours and get a hotel room for 2 nights). My MOH who's daughter will be 15 months old at the time of the wedding is getting her MIL to come and babysit for the day, as she'll be too busy with wedding activities and wanting to enjoy the day with everyone.

But if I had kids, I would not be offended is someone told me it was an adult only wedding. I could probably get either the in-laws to babysit or another friend and enjoy drinking, dancing and celebrating with everyone there.

A couple's choice to invite or not invite kids isn't 'stupid'. It's a party they are hosting, and it is their decision to make.

As long as there aren't exceptions for anyone else I wouldn't find it offensive. I would just go to the wedding and not the reception. Unless my son wasn't allowed to come to the ceremony either. Then I just wouldn't go at all. I wouldn't end the friendship over it though.

Thank you Celia.

Celia you said it best! It's absolutely not "stupid" not to invite children to a wedding.

My opinion is that we as hosts understand that you love your child. However it is not their big day it's the couples and dependent on preference, not everyone wants children at their wedding. It can cause liability that the couple does not want to assume. I don't have children yet but if I did i'd certainly not be offended in your choice not to invite kids since it's your wedding. If i couldn't bring my kids i'd find a sitter, and if i couldn't find a sitter i would most certainly NOT end the friendship over it.