Parents, are you offended at Adults Only receptions?

LOL Miss Tattoo. While I did not want children other than the bridal party, I compromised for FH's family and said we would invite kids. We now have invited people that FH hasn't seen in the 5 years we have been together and as far as I know hasn't talked to and made an exception to the "we don't want kids" rule at our expense. Yay score one for FMIL

I don't see where anyone should get "offended". It's pretty simple, if you can't or won't for whatever reason leave your children with a sitter you RSVP no. IMHO by getting offended you are playing the "it's all about me" card. You expect the Bride and Groom to accommodate your need to bring your children to THEIR wedding. I'm sure not the popular opinion but it is what it is

Yes I am a parent as well. I don't feel a wedding is a place for my own children short of immediate family members.

Future Mrs. Covington I agree. It's all or nothing. Our guests will have the option of bringing their children (yes local guests as well) but most won't. I don't feel it would be right for us to only invite some and not all. Those in the bridal party excluded in that count of course. JMO.

I guess I shouldn't say my wedding is going to be adults only. I have a 5 year old who is in the wedding party along with two of my god-daughters. The only exception I am making are for traveling guests. My wedding is local, so my demonic cousins can stay with my cousins MIL.

I too use to be one of those people who said weddings are a family event. Then I realize how miserable I was all night chasing after my daughter because other parents thought it was okay to let their kids run amok. There was one wedding I went to where I didn't eat because my daughter was throwing a fit and I dragged her little butt back to the hotel room where we sat watching TV the rest of the night.

Weddings can be a nice family event when people control their children and teach them how to act. Miss Tattoo I think it was wonderful that when your daughter started throwing a fit you removed her from the situation. I have been to weddings where people forgot they had children and left it up to everyone else to monitor their child. That's not my job and I DONT want to do it. Because their will be alcohol involved were are having an adult only reception.

I've never experienced that so maybe my feelings would be changed if I had. All of my family keeps their kids in check. My grandmother instilled in her children how to act appropriately and it's been continued thru myself and my cousins...and now our children. We have kids in our family that range from 4 to 17 years old and I have no qualms with having any of them at my wedding. I can't imagine letting a child run wild anywhere, wedding, grocery store, wherever. It's a whole different subject but it comes down (IMO ) to parents not being parents.

@FutureMrsCovington, I agree it's about parents not bring parents. I don't have kids so I cant speak on that too much but I wouldn't let my kids be demoinc either. I just dont want run the risk of some of those parents being at my wedding with their child.

Personally as a mother, nope doesn't offend me at all lol. For our wedding since a lot of family has to travel we decided kids where allowed, but if ppl where local I would be having an adults only occasion and if other's are getting married, and decide that they don't want children there hey guess what mama gets a night out lol.

What ever happen to people who see a wedding for what it truly means instead of seeing as a reason to get drunk? And someone said about a liability thing with kids around... what a joke.. Its more of a liability with a bunch of adults drinking... Kids are the least of the worries.. So what a kid stuck their finger the cake they are not going to get drunk and fall and break a leg or beat the crap out of someone cause they are too impaired to make better judgement, or worst of all they are not going to drive home or to the hotel or to the bar drunk and kill someone... Now thats a liability......

Tina, I'm not saying adults aren't a liability also, but if kids are running around and something breaks something or if they grab somebody's glass that has alcohol in it, or if they are unsupervised because that parent wants to relax. I as a bride don't want to be responsible for that. I'm glad you want kids at your wedding or feel that they should be there and thats OKAY! It's your wedding. I am having a celebration for my friends and my family and there will be alcohol which is OKAY because again it's my wedding. Don't be offended because I think it's a liability. If you want kids at your wedding great have them. My reception isn't going to be like a night at a club or a bender, but my guests have the option to have alcohol and as such it is my opinion that we don't feel as if kids should be there. Kids may be the least of your worries but i don't want them at my wedding. I'm not saying kids are bad not at all, but i just don't want them at my wedding.

I wouldn't be offended. I enjoy my time out without the kids. If it was a kid friendly wedding, I'd still leave mine at home unless it was one of my family member's wedding.

I didn't read the previous 4 pages... However, as a parent, I'm not at all offended when I'm invited to adult only events. In fact, I assume every event is an adult only event- unless specifically stated on the invite that children are welcome.

In addition- I expect that children who are immediate family of the couple will be in attendance at the wedding- their own kids (duh), and neices and nephews. However, I al so hope that they have made arrangements for babysitters later on in the evening when the party starts to ramp up past the kid's bedtime.

Tina-some people's kids are just annoying. Some parents don't know how to parent. I'm not trying to listen to my three little cousins talk loudly during the ceremony. They do it in church, school, other parties, etc. so my wedding won't be any different. Some parents refuse to remove crying babies. Babies cry, that's a fact, but don't be selfish and just let them cry through the entire ceremony. You decided to bring the baby, now be a parent and remove it from the situation. Some parents let their children run around while they ignore them and catch up with other people. Why even bring them if you aren't going to watch them.

Kids can't sit still. No 6 year old is going to sit at a table all night and behave. I don't want 50 little kids running around annoying me and their parents.

My reasoning is space and budget. I'd rather have someone else there that I talk to on a daily basis than some random cousin I only see a few times a year that will probably annoy the crap out of me.

So Meghan no kids means no blood relative kids? I ask because I see people say I'm having an adults only no kids reception except for this kid that kid and this kid. So that ,in itself, makes it a kids allowed reception. All confusing.

@tattoo I hear you on the parenting thing. I wouldn't want to invite any adult who showed no respect for others by not taking care of their responsibilities.

Mrs. Covington-When I say Adults Only, it should be really Adults Mostly. I'm not inviting the children of friends, coworkers and cousins. The only kids that will be there are the 3 flower girls, FH's half sister (who will be 12 so not really an annoying little kid) and FH's niece (but we don't even know that since his sister stated that she would probably fly alone and leave her daughter with her father.)

Our reception is also starting late. I don't know why parents would want to bring their children to a party that starts after 6pm. I don't even like to see newborns at weddings. All I can think is sensory overload and germs! Like, would you take your child into a night club? That's how I feel about most receptions.

I understand. As I said previously I don't have the types of family or friends who would allow that. We are the type of family/ friends that will snatch a child up! Lol. Even if it's not mine. Different strokes for different folks.

Yeah, well, some of my first cousins have smoked themselves stupid and just don't care. I'm not afraid to snatch a kid up, but I shouldn't have to and especially on my wedding day. Parties are a privileged, not an automatic right because it's a wedding. It's just like sitting at the adult table for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You earn that spot. If you can't behave like an adult, then you get stuck in the corner at the kids table. In this case the kids table is being left at home. lol

That's so sad. I think it says so much as a society the way some people let their children run wild. I don't plan on snatching any child up on my wedding day. I'm very comfortable with the family and friends I have invited. Not a worry. I'm blessed!

I am a parent of two and I am not in any way offended by this. I HAVE A BUDGET THAT I HAVE TO STICK TO!! And with that being said, my children will be the ONLY ones at the reception if I choose. I understand that some other parents may be offended by this, but come on, it is not their wedding. If certain people can not make it to my wedding because of babysitting issues or whatever, they will be missed, but I understand.

I'm not a parent, but I wanted to share my experience with you. We had an adult only reception. Not due to space, money or drinking either. Just because we didn't want them there. The youngest guest was 17 years old. We made no exceptions-my BM from Denver flew to Philly with her hubby and left her 2 kids at home, my cousin drove 1.5 hours and left her breast feeding 3 month old at home and my siblings left their kids at home too. My sister asked me to let her 2 year old come to the ceremony, but I told her no. My DH sister was the ONLY one offended by it and she chose not to attend due to it. Everyone else made it work, so she could have too. Her actions have caused the end of her relationship with her brother, my hubby. He wants nothing to do with her now.

For anyone who would get offended, it goes both ways. Your unwillingness to leave your kids at home offends me.