Recently I wrote a post about whether children should be allowed to attend funerals.
I have never been to a child free wedding and never even considered it as an option for our own wedding this summer.
Yet I know that some weddings specify ‘no children’ on the invite. I think I would panic if I ever received one of these!
But of course I’m unlikely to get one as most of my friends are married with their own children already and I think it is most likely that younger people without young families would be the most likely to ask for adult only weddings.
So why are children sometimes excluded from weddings?
One reason could be cost. Weddings are expensive and having the numbers increased by guests’ children could significantly hike up the costs.
Children are easily bored and you may have concerns about your big day being interrupted or spoiled.
Some weddings are an opportunity to ‘let your hair down’ and let the alcohol flow. It might not be suitable for children to be present…
Why should children be included in weddings?
I would be worried about inconveniencing friends by forcing them to choose between attending or not based on their childcare options. I certainly wouldn’t want to stay at home with the kids and let Chris go alone or vice versa.
Children need to learn about social conventions and enjoy the celebration of life events. They need to learn how to behave appropriately to help with their future experiences.
Our children are playing a central role in our wedding because they are an integral part of our life and we want them there to see our happiness.
Children are often noisy and annoying but they are also sweet and entertaining. They will certainly make the day more interesting!
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