Your wedding is going to bring all of your friends and family together under one roof. It will be a very joyous occasion. One thing you do not want are screaming infants during your vows or to have the most adorable little cherubs taking up a seat at your reception. Now if you have the space and budget then this article is not for you! If you do not have the space or budget then keep reading!

People can get very protective of their little darlings, trust me I know. I am a mom and I would go to war for my kid. BUT brides have the right to refuse children at their ceremonies and receptions and this causes huge issues even to this day. 

I constantly hear stories about it from my clients. Their families will literally boycott their weddings because they do not allow children to attend! I love kids but it is up to the bride and groom to decide whether or not they can incorporate it into their big day and their budgets. 

Don't count on guests being well versed in the nuances of invitation addressing either. You can mark on the rsvp 2 guests and people will still assume that is 2 plus the kids in their family. So make it very clear! 

Some parents will be excited to have a night to themselves for your wedding, others won’t want to leave their kids at home for the night (or the weekend), which means some of those guests with children will decide not to attend your wedding. 

So we are going to give you my 4 best tips if you are going this route. 

1. Make a decision about it and stay firm. Do not go back on your choice. Do not allow certain party guest  exceptions. The rule must apply to all guests.  

2. Decide if you will only allow the children participating in the wedding to attend the reception. If you are having flower girls and ring bearers, then I believe it is customary to allow them to attend the reception but again it is your choice. 

3. Decide what the age cut off is for children. Is it 12 and under? Is it 16 and under? Come up with an age cut off and enforce it. Add this information to your wedding website and or your rsvp. Make sure everyone knows the rule. 

4. Another option is to provide childcare services. Maybe you want the wedding party kids to attend the wedding  and not attend the reception? if you choose to do this then you would typically be responsible for managing this childcare cost. 

Whichever choice you go with know that it is OKAY, it is your wedding and you can do what you want. Don't feel bad about it and don't spend a lot of time worrying about it, enforce the rules and move on! 

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