The behaviour of children at wedding receptions is usually a reflection on their parents. While some children are well behaved, others are not and can cause significant distractions at very inappropriate times. So while we would never say you should not invite children, here are some tips:
- Try to have parents arrange for very young children to be taken home and minded after the ceremony. Wedding receptions are long and children can be very ‘crabby’ later in the reception.
- Make sure your venue has areas where babies can be changed and fed. You also need to check they have enough space for prams and highchairs.
- If you do want to have children at the reception our strong advice is to provide them with lots of distractions. You may put together a showbag with colouring in books and pens, maybe some simple games, and possibly a few lollies. The key though is not to give them everything at once. Rather, try to spread it out throughout the reception.
- The venue should assist by feeding the children as early as possible.