Being a mummy of two myself when we tied the knot meant that our children were integral to our wedding. It was super important that our kids enjoyed the experience as much as we did.<\/p>\n There are things I perhaps didn’t consider as much as I should have and others that I did. I thought it would be useful to all the wonderful mums and dads out there to give my top tips for wedding planning when you are a parent. As well as tips for couples that don’t have children who are thinking of having kids at their wedding.<\/p>\n Skip To<\/p>\n Not all kids work with a routine, but ours really did. Each family has a different setup and daily routine. So when working out timings on your day don’t forget about children’s routines and potential needs.<\/p>\n Think about timings for lunch and dinner, also naps and bedtime.<\/p>\n To help assist with a child’s routine on the wedding day, it really depends on the child. But when putting together your timeline for the day think about the little ones too. Here are some things to consider:<\/p>\n Parents or carers may be unavailable during these times to take part in your day. So if a member of your wedding party is looking after a child, perhaps ask them if there are any times when their child’s needs are. That way you may be able to adjust your timeline.<\/p>\n Ensure you have a booty of healthy snacks for kids if your wedding food<\/a> timings are a little later than their usual dinner time. Ice cream and sweets will keep the kids happy, but the parents may struggle if they are full of sugar. Instead, think about supplying dried fruit snacks, a fruit table or nibbles like breadsticks, rice cakes, cheese or crackers.<\/p>\n That’s not to say that kids can’t enjoy the treats on the day too. But having some healthy options too gives more balance and hopefully, calmer happier kids through the day and evening.<\/p>\n If you have babies attending work out how parents can feed them milk on the day. Do parents need a microwave, steriliser or any other equipment? You will need to consider space for prams around tables or your ceremony venue.<\/p>\n It’s also a good idea for highchairs to be supplied too. You can always ask parents if they need one in advance, that way you’ll have the right number for your reception.<\/p>\n Talk to your caterers about child-friendly menus and a ready supply of soft drinks for the kids. Cartons of juice, water and plastic cups\/straws are good options. For the main meal, depending on what you are having you could have mini portions. Or a completely different menu for children. Plain and simple food is usually a good idea and your caterers will have a good idea of what goes down well.<\/p>\n As a reminder:<\/p>\n It may be a good idea to assign a loved one or a professional to watch children at your wedding. They can ensure they are looked after and things such as feeding\/naps are cared for.<\/p>\n That way you and your parent guests can relax, mingle and enjoy the day. Not to mention you get the fun bits with children too, win-win. When it comes to caring for little ones think about:<\/p>\n Think about hiring a cr\u00e8che or setting up a dedicated area for the children. Here are some fun ideas:<\/p>\n Fun for kids and adults alike!<\/p>\n There are other activities you may already be putting on that kids will enjoy. Such as a photo booth, glitter station, temporary tattoos, glow sticks, dance floor, animal visits, quizzes and more. So you may be able to tie the two together, especially if children attending your day are a little older.<\/p>\n When thinking about when to entertain children, think about times when they may be prone to getting bored. Times, when they need to sit still for a while, is a great time for a goody bag or kids’ colouring sheets<\/a>.<\/p>\n Perhaps while the photos are being taken or there are welcome drinks you could have some outdoor games? And then, during the speeches have something for them to do at the table.<\/p>\n What’s better than hearing the joy and seeing the sparkle in children’s faces while they make memories on your day after all?<\/p>\n Giving jobs to children gives a real sense of being included and feeling important. Roles such as posting the cards in your wedding post box<\/a> or ensuring guests take home favours<\/a>, are really cute.<\/p>\n Other roles for children include:<\/p>\n You could be surprised at just how wonderfully they carry out their tasks. Plus they will feel really responsible and involved too.<\/p>\n Some children may be nervous about being the centre of attention if they have a special role in your day. Think about practising walking down the aisle or getting them to attend a rehearsal to settle their nerves.<\/p>\n One thing to remember with kids, they may not end up doing a task that you hoped they would do. That’s completely normal, so be prepared to expect the unexpected. It all adds to the joy and memories from your day.<\/p>\n When it comes to choosing clothing for little members of your wedding party; junior bridesmaids, flower girls and page boys here are some tips.<\/p>\n Pretty attire is lovely, but practical wear is essential for kids. Think about if clothes are able to be moved in easily, can be adjusted\/changed during the day if needed and suit the season. Layers are a good idea so no matter the weather kids can feel comfy.<\/p>\n Is the clothing comfortable? If a child finds the label annoying, the fabric scratchy or loose\/tight, they may not wish to wear what you’ve chosen. Speak to parents if the child has any sensory needs or struggles with a particular type of clothing\/footwear.<\/p>\n Do they like their outfit? It may be a good idea to involve kids in choosing their outfits. Buy some different options for them to try on\/choose from or head to the shops together. It’s a good idea to say beforehand what you are looking for and encourage them to help.<\/p>\n If they love their outfit they will be overjoyed on the day to be putting it on and will feel wonderful. Some compromise may be needed, but it will be worth it when you see their happy face.<\/p>\n You could choose to go for a long exotic honeymoon if you feel comfortable with that and have help at hand or a simple minimoon getaway.<\/p>\n The other option is to take the kids with you for a super duper familymoon<\/a>. Yay!<\/p>\n <\/p><\/p>\n And that's a wrap. Planning a wedding with kids<\/strong> is so fun, as long as you are fully prepared! Hopefully, now you have all the know-how on how to pull off a child-friendly wedding.<\/p>\n Help and step-by-step advice on planning a wedding with children. From kid’s entertainment to timings and roles, children are sure to have a blast on your day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":342727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3186],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-166501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-planning"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":342727,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Kids-At-Weddings-Ideas-Steph-Kiely-Photography-300x200.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166501\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/342727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Children](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Children-At-Weddings-Planning-Gem-Hicks-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Gem Hicks Photography<\/a> via Apricot Wedding Ideas<\/a><\/p>\nA Parents Guide To Children At Weddings<\/h2>\n
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Routine Routine Routine<\/h3>\n
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![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Kids-Wedding-Planning-Ideas-Sophie-May-Photo-720x1080.jpg\")
Photo: Sophie May Photo<\/a> via Family Elopement Ideas<\/a><\/p>\nKid-Friendly Food, Drink & Snacks<\/h3>\n
![\"Baby](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Baby-Wedding-Favour-Idea-Jess-Yarwood-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Jess Yarwood Photography<\/a> via Big Stylish Outdoors Glamping Wedding<\/a><\/p>\n\n
![\"Children](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Children-Weddings-Food-Drink-Barbara-Markiewicz-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Barbara Markiewicz Photography<\/a> via Christmas Tree Farm Wedding<\/a><\/p>\nBabysitting<\/h3>\n
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![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Kids-Wedding-Dinner-Table-Hannah-Brooke-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Hannah Brooke Photography<\/a> via Blush Wedding Ideas<\/a> Flower Girl Dresses: Laura Lea Boutique<\/a><\/p>\nEntertainment Fun & Games<\/h3>\n
![\"Wedding](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Wedding-Kids-Colouring-Entertainment-Monisa-J.-Photography-720x1079.jpg\")
Photo: Monisa J. Photography<\/a> via Arkansas Wedding<\/a><\/p>\n\n
![\"Children](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Children-Weddings-Game-Ideas-Entertainment-Paige-Mary-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Paige Mary Photography<\/a> via Italian Wedding Ideas<\/a> Childcare: Little Wedding Creche<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Kids-Wedding-Tent-Play-Idea-Kazooieloki-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Kazooieloki Photography<\/a> via Pampas Grass Barn Wedding<\/a><\/p>\nGive Roles<\/h3>\n
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![\"Children](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Children-Weddings-Roles-EKR-Pictures-720x1080.jpg\")
Photo: EKR Pictures<\/a> via Free Spritied Bohemian Luxe Wedding Ideas<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Kids](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Kids-At-Weddings-Ideas-Steph-Kiely-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Steph Kiely Photography<\/a> via Orange Blue Wedding<\/a><\/p>\nOutfits<\/h3>\n
![\"Flower](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Flower-Girl-Dress-Kids-Wedding-Carey-Sheffield-.jpg\")
Photo: Carey<\/span> Sheffield<\/span><\/a> via Blush Blossom Wedding Ideas<\/a> Dress: Nicki Macfarlane<\/a><\/p>\nHoneymoons For Couples With Kids<\/h3>\n
![\"Children](\"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2016\/04\/Children-At-Weddings-Help-Berni-Palumbo-Photography.jpg\")
Photo: Berni Palumbo Photography via Dutch Art Wedding Ideas<\/a> Baby Dress: Monday\u2019s Child<\/a><\/p>\nFurther Reading<\/h4>\n
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