Wedding Bounce House Opinion

I understand where parents are coming from, I wouldn’t be comfortable letting my kids in a bounce house without supervision. Especially if they’re young. Plus if you have 51 kids who would be there to make sure all the kids don’t just go in at once? To me it sounds like a headache and if some parents tell their kids not to go in then they’ll feel bad watching the other kids.

Kids of all ages love to dance.
Is it possible to hire a childcare service to keep an eye on kids so parents can enjoy themselves? That doesn't mean the kids have to be isolated to another room..just a set of eyes for safety concerns.

I agree with pp and I would not do this. It's awesome that your wedding is going to be a family-friendly event, but I'd pick something else. As a parent, I was always very wary of bounce houses -- they are only just behind trampolines in terms of emergency room-type injuries. Use should be carefully monitored (best case scenario is one kid at a time; but if more than one, then the kids should be well matched in size & weight -- so no preschoolers with grade school-sized kids at the same time, etc.). When our daughter was young, if we were anywhere with a bounce house, I stood RIGHT THERE to watch what was going on and if I wasn't comfortable, I didn't let her play. That would result in a very unhappy child and if there wasn't a good distraction, we'd end up leaving rather than dealing with her fussing. If you're going to go ahead with a bounce house, I'd look for a company that provides attendants whose job it is to closely monitor the situation -- and I'd be sure you and/or your venue have good liability insurance. I get that it sounds fun, but from a parent's perspective, I can see a LOT of concerns. Good luck!

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I am definitely seeing as a parent the stress that can come with this, I am thinking after reading these comments waiting and seeing how many kids actually RSVP and then reevaluate the age group as well. I am wondering if hiring a couple of babysitters might be better money spent, I will only do this after I speak to the parents though to see how they feel about it. Thank you so much for your advice, this is what I was looking for.

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This is what I am leaning towards, I think need to wait and see how many kids are actually planning on coming and then look at the different age groups, because most of the littles might not even come. I want to make sure the parents are okay with that of course before I spend the money on a couple of babysitters. Thank you so much!

As a teacher who has done many field days, I don’t think this is a good idea. These are dangerous when we are standing there watching, only letting a few in at a time, making sure they remove shoes, glasses etc. I would go a different direction.

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The 51 I included is any kids under 18 I just did a recount and I think I have 10 that are under 5 years old, and then about 20 are teenagers. I think I need to wait and see how many kids RSVP to really decide on what I want to do, if only a few are coming I would love to still do the bounce house but mainly for the photo op and adults lol. But I want to be respectful of the parents as well! Thank you so much for sharing!

I mean when they’re bringing their kids that are 1 to 3 years old yeah they’re kind of going to have to watch them all night. I think the bounce house is a great idea especially with all those kids. You could even just hire a babysitter for the day. Think of it as another vendor. You could even probably find someone who runs a daycare and pay them ifYour wedding is on a weekend. What’s an extra 400 - 500 bucks when it will really help all of your guests have a great day. I think you should definitely just stick to your idea because it sounds great and I’m actually now thinking of having this at my wedding venue because I will be having some kids there.

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I also agree with a pp who said most kids LOVE to dance! If you're having a DJ and dancing, I'd probably just stick to that and maybe an activity table (in a corner of the reception room), possibly with a couple childcare/activity leaders. You might also consider having a quiet corner or room where the littles can curl up and fall asleep. There were only 4 children at daughter's wedding -- ages 10, 8, 6, and 4 -- siblings, all in the wedding. She had their dad bring them to the venue as late as possible (mom was also in the wedding), so they were only dressed and on-site about an hour prior to the ceremony which started at 3:30. The reception began at 5 pm. Just before the wedding party was lining up for their entrance, the 4 year old started SCREAMING that she wanted to go to bed. There were a few large lounge chairs around the perimeter of the reception space, including one near the family's table. The parents put her on a lounge chair, covered her with dad's suit jacket, and she SLEPT until the family left just before 10 pm. The 8 & 10 year olds were on the dance floor all night and had a blast -- dancing with extended family, the wedding party, anyone and everyone. The 8 year old caught the bouquet and we heard it was the highlight of her young life! The 6 year old walked around sucking his thumb and looking a little like a zombie most of the evening. Especially it there are a lot of other kids, they will likely make their own fun. Good luck!

It sounds fun and unique but you would definitely have parents out there all night. Usually when it’s for a big event (fair, school event) etc there are people assigned to be watching the bounce house and counting the kids inside, letting kids and out and stuff. We didn’t have kids at our wedding so I didn’t really look into any entertainment for them but I would probably stay away from something that needs almost constant supervision.

OK… So scratch my initial reply. It seems like bounce houses might be more of a hassle than enjoyment… Many vendors don’t even allow them because of the liability. Maybe you could try to hire someone who does white henna tattoos or face painting, or maybe just set up a play area and hire someone who runs a daycare to watch the kids for the day. hope this helps and good luck!

I love that you want to do something for the kids - it's really very sweet of you! But I agree with PPs and your replies. You can find safer options for the kids to do with a baby sitter or even just with their parents inside (dancing, games, etc.).

I'm the minority here, but I love the idea. If it was my child, I agree I'd be out watching her, but like previous weddings, we just sit at the table, bored lol. At least this gives kids and parents a break to go do something together. Even if its just watching her jump and laugh and interact with other children. We actually have a little bounce house here at our home with a 200lb limit. My husband and I both love being in it with our daughter. My cousin also had a bounce house for the kids at her wedding and it was a hit!

I think the novelty of it sounds really great but I think it’ll be ok just to provide the kids with activities they can do at their tables

I absolutely love this idea. I didnt even know they had these for weddings. Thank you for the inspiration. Im going to look into this for my wedding as well. We have SEVERAL kids that are attending this wedding. I say go for it, its a great idea. Let the kids be kids and have fun while the adults relax. Im sure there will be at least one or two parents around the bounce house to watch over them, especially if they are small. It will be ok.

I'm trying to think of additional activities you could have for them. Could you maybe create a play corner with bubbles, blocks or lego, books?

Sry I don't like the idea ONLY because 1-3 yr old and 13-18 yr old is big difference someone could get hurt and you would feel horrible. 51 is a high kid # .

What about hiring someone to entertain the kids/adults- magician walks around, balloon art, photo booth. ask your Dj for ideas he could probably bring a helper and have music playing in another are and do like freeze dance, musical chairs,etc. Or maybe you can incorporate your older cousins to assist with this.(face paintings, bubble art, dancing, etc.)