Entertaining Kids at Your Wedding
We get it…It’s a big decision whether or not to invite children to be part of your big day. For many engaged couples who already have children of their own, it makes sense to include their friends’ and families’ children in their celebration. And most couples without kids don’t want to offend their closest friends and family, by not inviting their little people to the wedding! Phew…weddings can get a little complicated! But, In the end the choice really is yours to make, and you should do what is going to work best for you as a couple and as well as what works best within your budget! If in the end you decide to invite children to your wedding celebration, keeping them entertained, happy and fed will need to be a top priority! This will ensure that everyone (even their parents) have a fantastic time celebrating your new lives together!Keeping all of that in mind, here’s a short list of ideas that will help to keep your smallest guests entertained and engaged!
Welcome Bags
Everyone (big or small) loves to get a surprise swag bag! So, we know that taking the time to create age appropriate welcome bags for the kids in attendance, filled with items like crayons and coloring books, mess free snacks & treats, small toys, puzzles or games will help to ensure that you won’t hear that awful phrase “I’m bored!”
Create a Kid Zone
If you're planning on hosting an outdoor event, the ‘kid zone’ could be a small tent or sun shade set-up with seats, tables, blankets, pillows and a few kid friendly activities, which will also offer shade and respite from the heat on hot summer days. If you’re planning a mostly indoor affair, the ‘kid zone’ could be a small adjacent room or simply a small dedicated space or corner located within your reception room. That way all the children in attendance will have their own special space to play and do their own wedding socializing without getting underfoot or bored.
Lawn Games
Lawn games can be a great way to entertain kids (of all ages) at a more casual outdoor wedding, and they tend to work best if there is a large break between the ceremony and reception. So, take this as your cue to go ahead and set-up that giant Jenga, ring toss, or maybe even a mini golf course. The adults and the kids (of all ages) will have a great time playing a game or two, or more! And, as a bonus, lawn games can also serve as great ice breakers before your reception officially starts!
Kid Friendly Meal
Chances are, that the majority of kids aren’t going to fully appreciate the meal you and your sweetie have your heart set on serving, and that’s okay! An alternative is to ask your caterer to put together one or two more kid friendly options for meals with approachable items – like chicken nuggets and french fries, Mac n’ cheese or slides and veggies – for them to enjoy. And, one little bonus of this plan, is that the kid-friendly meals will likely be a small fraction of the cost of what the adults will be eating. This will help to offset the cost of some of the other items on this list!
Book a Photo Booth
We’re one hundred percent biased on this account, but we also know from experience that kids LOVE photo booths! They’ll have a great time with the photo booth props and taking photos with their other little cousins, aunties & uncles, parents and grandparents! Whenever there is a photo booth at a kid friendly wedding, the kids all pretty much leave with enough photos to cover an entire fridge door! Also, sometimes older relatives aren’t super keen on getting into the booth, so you can enlist some of your smallest guests to help draw them into the fun! There’s something especially precious about your oldest guest and youngest guest taking photos together in the photo booth!So, as you can see, with just a little bit of pre-planning and fairly minimal effort you can host a wedding that is fun, festive and stress free for all of your guests, no matter how young they may be! After all, isn’t it pretty much the cutest to see all of the little flower girls and ring bearers dancing at your wedding?!
