Kids and the Wedding {Part 2}

Children. They are spontaneous, wild, and full of life. More often than not your wedding day will play host to one or many children. For some brides, thoughts of children at the wedding cause panic attacks as they worry what mischief will be made or if their special day will be ruined by fussing kids.

In this two-part segment, we'll explore a few ways to take the sticky out of those wedding-day kids.

Kids Entertainment

One of the best ways to set-up a stress-free kid-friendly wedding environment is to plan simple ways to keep them entertained. Depending on your wedding theme and venue kids entertainment can be a fun part of the wedding for more than just the children. Here are some ideas. 

• Photo booth: Rent (or set-up your own) photo booth, complete with funny props. Kids and adults will get a kick out of posing and you'll get some amazing and fun pictures of all your guests. 
• Kids table: At the wedding dinner or engagement party, include a kids table. Feature kid-friendly food and allow for coloring with coloring pages (or with fun coloring table cloths like this one)
• Kids Sign-in: The adults get to sign-in to your custom wedding guestbook but kids can be tricky, since many are still learning how to write (and you may worry they'll write across the groom's face). A scrapbook style custom-sign-in book can feature fun little colored messages for the bride and groom at the back of the traditional guest-sign in pages. 
• Kid's Activities: Weddings are often formal events but depending on your wedding-theme you may be able to get away with a few kid activities. For example, Carnival-themed weddings could feature a balloon-making clown. Rustic-themed weddings could feature a dress-up box with old-time gear or a hay bail maze for the little ones. 

Kids with Special Needs

Many brides are looking to accommodate children who have unique needs. Children with special needs, like autism, for example, may find a formal wedding atmosphere with lots of strange people in fancy clothes overwhelming. Depending on the need you are accommodating, you may need to consider the best table to sit a child at, make accommodations with the venue you've chosen etc. Here are some ideas of ways to make a child (or children) with special needs more at-east for the big day. 

• Talk to a close friend or family member who can be assigned to the task of ensuring the child(ren) are accommodated throughout the day so that you're not worried about it. 
• Ask parents for ideas on how to make the child(ren) more at ease (perhaps their favorite chair or stuffed-animal could be brought from home).
• Know when to include and when to exclude. Children with special needs often want to be included in the wedding celebration, however, be sure to address how much they will be expected to participate in wedding day festivities. Sometimes it may be best for them to be allowed to remain away from the crowd and the celebration. 
• If desired, include them in smaller, more intimate wedding celebrations. Family dinners prior to the wedding or even one-on-one dates with children with special needs may prove to be more meaningful and less stressful to everyone. 

Kids and the Big Day

When all is said and done, your wedding is your big day. Make every effort before the wedding to accommodate the kids in your life, but realize that children are unpredictable and that the best way to take the sticky out of kids is to not worry about them too much. As the bride, it's not your job to tell children how to behave, where to go, what to do, etc. (Even if they are your kids, it may be wise to enlist a family member or friend to take this task on for the day). Enjoy your day and the kids in your life will take your cue!