Q&A: Child Attendants: Can They Be the Only Kids There?

Q.

My fiance and I are getting married next year, and I want my two little cousins to be ring bearers and one of his nieces to be a flower girl. However, I want to have an adults-only reception. Can the children in my wedding party be there without the rest of the guests being upset about it?

A.

You have to be careful with your execution on this one, but it can be done. While if you were choosing to allow say, your sister or a few family friends to bring their children and barring all others, that would be a serious gaffe, in this case having only select kids is okay. Why? Because they are in the wedding party. If you want your flower girl and ring bearers to be at the reception, they definitely should be. If anyone asks you about it or objects, it's perfectly fine to explain that you were on a tight budget and so made the decision not to invite kids, but since these kids are in your wedding party, of course they were asked to the reception. End of story! Just make sure that you remain firm on your no-other-children policy, or else your explanation will have a few holes in it.


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catikitkat
OH sidenote, our friends are very loud and like to drink, they have no concept of babies and the quiet they need, should we tell my future SIL and MIL this?? Thanks in advance

catikitkat
I do not want my future SIL baby at my wedding (her baby is due January 29, our Wedding is April 24). My FH and I have decided on an adult only rehersal dinner, ceremony, and reception, the only kids will be the 3 flower girls, a Junior Bridesmaid, and 3 ring bears.....I do not know how to tell her that she has to find a babysitter without her getting upset. I am not going to budge on this, I do not want a crying baby at any point that weekend (the ring bear's and flower girls are 2+, my junior bridesmaid is 14). Also my I am afraid my future MIL will be angry over this....how do I/we break it to them without them getting mad

jlmynes
I am going through the same situation right now as well. We have always wanted an adult only ceremony and reception and luckily we don't have any kids in the family under the age of 19. However, my FI and I just found out his sister is pregnant (and my bridesmaid) and is due a month before our wedding. I don't think that just because it is his sister and our soon to be nephew that we should have to make an exception and allow her to be the only one that can bring a baby to our wedding. No kids at the wedding doesn't mean no kids except for my SIL's 1 month old baby. Regardless if they are family or close friends people be offended by the couples decision...afterall if is their wedding.

anastasia.dorsey
I think that is crazy. We are planning having an adult only wedding and reception, however our niece, our daughter, our nephew, and 2 cousins in their teens and my cousin that is 11. Plus a couple of kids that i am close to..... I don't feel that we have open our reception up to all kids. I have several close friends that have just had babies and cousins and i am not planning on inviting them. We are traveling to my home town to hold our ceremony & reception so people close to us do not have to spend money on travel.....so I believe that since we are in their area...they will be able to find a bbsitter for the evenings events

sbassily001
How do you communicate an adults only reception, do yo put it on the invitation? I don't even want there to be anyone under the age of 10? How do I communicate that?