Ten Steps to a Child Friendly Wedding

More often then not , in the past the bride and groom got so tied up with what seemed like the major issues of wedding planning like getting a church, finding a reception hall and making honeymoon reservations, that they paid little attention to the smallest guests that might appear on their invitation list. Some couples just felt more comfortable deciding to declare theirs to be a "child free" wedding. Others included some select children but then found it difficult and sometimes embarrassing knowing where and how to draw the line. Today more couples seem inclined to at least think about having children at their wedding, but they are unsure of how to make this formal occasion work for kids. These ten steps to a child friendly wedding can help.

1. An invite all their own. When you make the decision to take the plunge and include children at your wedding reception, let those who are invited know how special they really are. Send them their own child friendly invitation. Take the time to simply pick up some generic invitations and mail them out. The added expense will be minimal compared to what you spent for your formal invitations and will really help you and the children you invite to connect before the wedding.

2. Keep with Tradition When you include children in your wedding party you do more than just honor their parents and grandparents, you also say to every other child who is present at your wedding - "Welcome, this is a family affair, have a great time". Nothing makes kids feel more a part of something than seeing kids who are taking part in the main event. So fill up your line of march with a ring bearer or two and as many flower girls as you feel comfortable with. Don't forget those pre-teens who might seem shy but secretly would love to be junior ushers or bridesmaids.