A Guide to Including Kids in Your Wedding Day Bliss

Weddings blissfully celebrate love and commitment, and they're a joyful occasion for all involved family members. Uniting two families is meaningful; more celebrations include children in the wedding activities. You have the opportunity to make children feel included in the wedding festivities.

Preparing Kids for the Big Day

One way to prepare kids for a wedding is to communicate with them about the wedding. Keep in mind that this can look different depending on the children's ages. The way you explain marriage to children will also depend on the kid's ages. A simple way is to say when two people love each other very much, they decide to share a life together and get married.

Start talking about the big day well in advance of the wedding. This way, they can ask questions, and you can prepare them for their role in the celebration. You can ask if the kids have any fears about the ceremony and reception and ease their minds as the wedding day approaches. Having an open dialogue leading up to the event can help children better understand the event and allow them to ask questions and squelch any concerns.

Selecting Kid-Friendly Roles

Including kids in wedding-day roles is one way to make them feel part of the celebration. You'll want to look at the kids' ages in order to find age-appropriate roles for children. Popular roles for children include ring bearers, flower girls, junior bridesmaids, and junior groomsmen.

Ring bearers give the diamond rings to the groom and bride, and flower girls can be children of all ages. If the children are younger, you can have the kids hold onto pretend rings just in case the diamond engagement ring and wedding rings get misplaced. Junior bridesmaids and junior groomsmen are more appropriate for children from about 9 to early teens.

You can also think of some creative wedding roles for kids. Perhaps have a kid do a reading or play a song. You could ask kids to walk with you up or down the aisle. Bubbles and confetti are an excellent way to involve children, too, and they love it.

Kid-Friendly Ceremony Ideas

Some ceremonies have rituals that could use some help from kids if you need a role for them. If you're lighting a unity candle or doing a sand or salt ritual for the wedding ceremony, consider asking for a child's help. They'll feel involved, and it's not a stressful role. Take a close look at your wedding day festivities and see what opportunities there are for the kids in your life to get involved.

Keeping kids engaged and entertained during the ceremony can be challenging, especially if the children are younger. Consider having some activities at their seats (coloring books, notebooks, pens, bubbles, blocks, chalk, snacks, treats, etc.) or rewarding the kids with a goodie bag for good behavior during the ceremony.

Designing Kid-Friendly Reception Activities

You can get more creative for reception activities for kids. You can make a coloring table with coloring books and wedding-themed placemats to keep little hands busy. You can even have a chalkboard-topped table so kids can doodle. Consider a separate room at your location to have kid’s movies or play games (and have someone hired to supervise the area).

Crafting Family-Centered Traditions

Family traditions are important to many families, and the traditions included in a wedding carry meaning for your family and the new family you're creating. Traditions foster a sense of unity and represent two lives becoming one. Family rituals are common ground and can strengthen family bonds with one another. Regarding rituals at wedding ceremonies, talk to family members and see what kinds of traditions you can weave into your ceremony or reception.

Customizing the Experience for Each Child

You can customize the experience and each child's involvement. Some kids might be shyer and would not want to be involved in the ceremony by having a role. Other kids might feel left out if they weren't invited to participate. Communicate with each kid so you can attempt to make each kid happy.

As mentioned earlier, every child is unique, and the roles and activities vary depending on the kids' ages. It's helpful to meet each child where they are, especially if they're your children (or soon-to-be stepchildren) who are part of the wedding festivities.

DIY Photo Booth for Kids

Photo booths are a newer trend for wedding celebrations. They're a great way to capture memories and keep kids occupied. Have fun props and a wedding-themed backdrop to get fun and silly pictures of men, women, and children.

As far as getting good wedding photos of kids with your photographer, first, ensure that the kids aren't hungry or thirsty. Perhaps have a snack break in a quiet environment before group photos. The quiet break can recharge the kids.

Once you're ready for group photos, play with the kids until you're ready to snap the group. This way, kids won't be vying for your attention and getting bored. Wedding photographers and videographers can capture the moments during the festivities while kids are naturally watching, playing, or dancing. You'll capture unforgettable memories and have a snapshot of the kids at that moment in time.

Closing Note

You can include children in your wedding festivities by planning and communicating with kids well in advance. Prepare wedding-day activities, snacks, and goody bags to ensure the children aren't bored or hungry. Celebrating a momentous occasion like a wedding with children will strengthen the family bonds and allow the kids to feel included in the big day.

Embrace the unique joy and energy children can bring to your wedding ceremony and reception. Often, the stories involving kids at weddings get retold for years. They're an integral part of the family and will make your wedding even more memorable.