Children, oh how we love them! And in today’s weddings they are making a come back appearance… There was a time where couples were forgoing children all too together in their weddings but this is not the case anymore. But when there are children, there is prep work that must be considered to help make your day run smooth… Here are a few helpful hints:
v Remember they are children so keeping them on a time schedule is important. They get antsy when they’re forced to stand around and wait.
v Give them something to do… Kids love craft project so I usually bring one with me that they play with that does not involved getting their outfit soiled.
v A change of clothes for the children is always a good idea especially if you are doing pictures before the wedding. It’s easy to slip them out of their wedding outfit into some play clothes for a while before redressing them. This also allows them time to burn off some that excitement energy.
v When bringing in food for the children go more of the healthy route and skip the sugar. And always have clear fruit juices verses a color liquid. Red fruit punch does not come out with a Tide Stick on a cute flower girl dress.
v Consider hiring a sitter to help out through out the day especially if the parents are also in the wedding. This frees up them and your family to enjoy the day and not stress over who has the children. Remember to introduce them before the wedding though.
v Please have them come to rehearsal… It preps them for what it is going to be like the day of the wedding. Plus it gives us time to get to know the children and become buddies with them.
v Have a Children’s table at the reception that has coloring books, Lego’s, arts and crafts, and activity sheets to keep the children busy through out the night.
v And the most important thing, remember they are children and as much as we want them to be perfect that day, it might not happen. Children tend to freeze up and become scared when they see all those people. Sometimes they run right down the aisle, and sometimes they wail at the back of the church. But no matter what, they make the day just a little more precious because they are part of it…
Photo courtesy of Riverside Photography