While some
believe children add to the happiness and excitement of a wedding, others fear
their vows will be drowned out by noisy disruptive toddlers and secretly some brides
fear their immaculate white dress will be ruined by sticky hand prints!
One of the
first dilemmas any couple planning a wedding have to tackle is whether to
invite kids or not. It can be a tricky
issue and can lead to all sorts of tensions between families and groups of friends.
However, for
this lovely couple Julia and Kevin, having their three kids with them was never
in doubt and made for a really special event for them as a family. It was held at the Old Kent Barn in Swingfield in Kent and really was
such an enjoyable occasion. I actually would love to do more weddings here, it’s such a great venue. For more info about this venue see http://www.theoldkentbarn.co.uk/ Originally a 3 bedroom
B&B, it was transformed a few years ago into the passionate family business
it is today, offering great facilities and a first class service.
I have to
say Julia and Kevin’s kids were great and so well behaved on the day but that
isn’t always the case at some weddings in my experience. All in all you just have to remember that it’s
your day and it’s up to you as a couple to decide what kind of day you want it to be. If after all that, you do decide to have children there (especially other people’s!) it’s worth
planning well for it. More about this in
Part 2 of my blog next week…
If however you do decide on a “no children policy”, you obviously will need to let people know well in advance so that those who wish to come to your wedding "sans-enfants", can arrange childcare - some parents do enjoy a little break every now and again, let me tell you! Either way, be clear on your “save a date” or invitation; you could always include a little message like “As much as we love your little ones, our venue is not suitable…" or "we don’t have any childcare options…" or "we are restricted on numbers…” Hopefully your family and friends will be understanding!
In the meantime,
I hope you enjoy these pics and please remember to check back next week for part 2 of my blog where I'll be sharing some of my favourite ideas for planning a wedding with children (and not forgetting of course, some great images too!)
Best wishes,
Roger
