The day of a wedding should be as stress-free as possible. Including kids in the wedding celebration does not have to be an added stress.

Becky Thomas from Mostly Becky Weddings and Events said that when thinking about whether or not kids should be invited to a wedding, take into consideration the size of the venue and if it is an elegant celebration or not. If it is a smaller venue, fire code simply may not allow enough room for everyone because of safety reasons. In this case, it would not be wise to invite children if your head count is getting close to the capacity of the building.

“If it is a more upscale wedding event where kids are not welcome, then I would advise my couple to just not invite them instead of making the parents figure it out,” said Thomas.

Thomas said if just the parents are invited, then address the invitations accordingly. For example, “Mr. and Mrs. Thomas” indicates that the kids are not invited to the wedding rather than saying “Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and family.”

“A lot of brides do creative things with kiddos,” Thomas said. “They have set up a tent in the corner of the room with colors, books and games and let the kiddos play.”

She said since it is in the same room there is no need for a babysitter.

Thomas also said she has connected couples with babysitters so the kids can be in a separate room with snacks, games or a movie with the sitter.

“If there is more than 10 and 20 children, we strongly suggest to hire a babysitter,” said Cynthia Betts from Weddings in Iowa. “We often suggest a children’s table at the reception.”

Betts said to provide colors, puzzles and magic tricks on the table. She also suggested having beanbags or pillows in case the kids get tired.

“If they can fit that into their planning, that’s a great idea.” said Candy Gaedke from University Community Childcare in regards to a kids’ table with activities. “If you know the child is between two and eight years old, usually you have markers or paper or crayons that they can draw and write with.”

It is your wedding and your decision if you want to have kids there or not. If you decide you would like to have kids be in attendance, there are many ways to keep them entertained so they do not disturb the celebration.