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kids at a wedding

Keeping Kids Busy at a Wedding

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Keeping Kids Busy at a Wedding

Kids add so much hilarity to weddings, however, you want to be sure to keep them busy during the right times. It is important to keep in mind the length of your ceremony so the kids do not run out of things to keep them occupied. Although the focus usually goes on keeping the adults happy, open bar, and a good DJ, anyone? your younger guests deserve the same amount of consideration. Whether they are in the bridal party or simply esteemed guests everyone will be happier with these fun ideas for keeping kids busy at a wedding.

The Ceremony

Let’s start with the ceremony. The options you will have available to the kids will differ depending on whether you are having a full-length church ceremony or a quick ceremony at your reception venue.

Full-Length Church Ceremony

If you are having a full-length church ceremony, likely it will last an hour or more. Consequently, kids will need more time-consuming activities. Coloring books and crayons are the perfect quiet time-consuming activity. Luckily you can even buy these at the dollar store, so they are great for your wedding budget! A nice aspect of coloring books & crayons is they are mess-free and easily tailored to the interests of the kids. For example, if you know your niece and nephew are in love with Paw Patrol, coloring pages with those characters will be a hit!

A Quick Reception Venue Ceremony

Obviously with kids, and some adults, a quick ceremony is ideal. In this case, small fidget toys are a great option. Small toys buy you just enough time for the ceremony to be as quiet as possible before the kids’ imaginations get bored. Again, thank you dollar stores. If you are around kids at all, you’ll know fidget toys are all the rage nowadays. Kids will be more than happy getting to keep a fidget toy as a memento from your wedding.

After The Ceremony

You’ve gotten married! Now everyone can let loose a bit. However, don’t forget kids are less patient than adults. There are still plenty of things to keep in mind when trying to keep little ones busy.

Wedding Photos

Once the wedding is over, the next most difficult aspect for kids, specifically kids who are in the bridal party, will be wedding photos. It can be really boring for kids to stand around waiting for it to be their turn. Pro tip: take all photos that will involve the kids first, then let them go run, play, & eat. In the meantime, while they’re waiting for photos to start, have mess-free snacks ready. Think pretzels, goldfish crackers, peanuts, and no snacks that have color, juice, or oil. No one likes being hangry, especially kids who are having to wait. Kids will be much happier, and more cooperative if they’re not hangry during the wedding photos.

During the Reception

Yay! You’ve made it through the wedding ceremony, through photos, & now it’s time to party! The easiest idea to keep kids occupied during dinner is more ness-free (crayons) coloring. Similarly, quiet activities that keep kids still so their parents can eat, or during speeches are important. Quiet, open-ended toys are great for kids when they need to take up some time. Kids love making things out of nothing, so everything from tape, to beads, to pipe cleaners, to pompoms is right up their alley. Odds are you’ll be amazed at the quiet busyness of the kids’ table! If the venue has paper table cloths available, that is the easiest way to incorporate a coloring option as well.

Are you having a photo booth at the wedding reception? If not, you should definitely consider it! Adults and kids alike love taking silly photos with all the props. Similarly, another fun momento would be for the kids to make their own photo booth prop, think mask, or crown. You can easily find cutout templates off google images to tailor this to boys and girls alike.



Did you have kids at your wedding? Are you going to? How did you keep them occupied? We’d love to see it! Submit your kid-friendly wedding to hello@chicagoweddingblog.com. For more wedding planning advice and inspiration, check out more Chicago Wedding Blog posts below. Happy Planning!

Kids At Your Wedding ReceptionMusic By Design

Kids At Your Wedding Reception

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Kids At Your Wedding Reception

Do you want kids at your wedding reception? Here are some questions to ask. Will my friends with kids be offended that their minis weren’t invited? Will tots steal the thunder from me and my partner? What about relatives, such as nieces and nephews—can I include just them? Do I have to provide childcare if kids are invited (or, for out of town guests, if they aren’t)? Can I invite kids for just a portion of my event, and then ask them to leave early (so I don’t have to worry about kids’ meals, etc.)? How do I keep children entertained at my wedding?

This infographic provided by Zola will help you make a solid decision.

Kids At Your Wedding Reception

 

Pinterest Pins Of The Week

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Check out our favorite pins from Pinterest this week. This week, we feature Unexpected Invites, Downton Inspiration and Kids at a Wedding on Pinterest.

Unexpected Invites

Don’t get us wrong- we love a gorgeous photo save the date and beautifully letterpress cards with all the details for the big day as much as the next person. But there’s something entirely thrilling about opening a fun “package” that doubles as a bit of an interactive activity like these balloon save the dates. Guests are instructed to blow them up for all of the info cleverly printed onto colorful balloons. We can’t think of a better way to say “ this is going to be one fun wedding.” And the theme can be used so many ways too- printing the date and place on golf balls and sending them in small boxes, or even something simple like a novelty beach ball for a beach wedding is a perfect way to announce your plans. Whichever way you send it, keep in mind the postage costs and try to pick the best way possible to package it. And consider foregoing something else if this is a budget buster because this truly is a very memorable to kick off your big day.

Downton Inspiration

So if you haven’t already binge-watched the first 3 seasons of “Downton Abbey” like the ret of us then you better get on board, because the addicting 4th seasons is under way here in the U.S. And if you noticed a recent resurgence of long formal tables, long sleeved intricately beaded gowns, and vintage headpieces for weddings, it’s not just a friendly coincidence.  Brides are turning to Lady Crawley and the women of Downton for classic and timeless inspirations- and who can blame them? There’s something so romantic and elegant about this period piece and the return to the art of dressing is the perfect homage for a wedding look that is unique yet totally classic.

Kids at a Wedding

It’s always a huge etiquette question when it comes to kids at weddings. And while some couples who opt for a more formal night-time adults only try to gently say, “ NO KIDS THANK YOU,” others are all about having the youngsters as part of their day. Either way, we LOVE this idea of being super prepared and making a special tablescape for the kids at the event.  Think ahead and keep it simples: mason jars full of yummy treats and candies with their names on them, cute vessels filled with crayons and stickers, placemats that double as mini chalk boards or sketch pads will keep them busy for hours and make it a memorable night for them and their parents!