No Kids Allowed – For Or Against?

We specified there were to be no children at our wedding. And then bent the rule for my sister who had travelled up from Cape Town for the nuptials with a 6-month old. Some noses were put out of joint as a result.

In hindsight, I don’t blame them – more than a couple had young children they’d had to leave at home. You can understand that this might be a contentious issue. But hey, she was breast feeding and who could she leave him with?

Whether we like it or not, to have, or not to have children at a wedding is something of a can of worms. There are those (usually without children) who adamantly state that children should remain off the agenda, whilst those weddings that do have children often benefit from the sheer joyful impact they have on such a celebration.

So where do you stand on this? There are a number of aspects that influence your decision, of course:

Is the wedding an evening sit-down dinner that stretches on way beyond bedtime? If so, it is possibly not appropriate for children
Is the wedding formal – ditto above
Is it at a non-children friendly venue – ditto above
Is it a daytime, backyard, informal wedding – children would fit right in – you could even arrange a children’s area with a hands-on sitter (happiness all round)
Do most of your friends have children? Then excluding them might cause a number of your guests to decline your invite

The pros and cons are numerous:

PROS

They do photograph well!
Having flower girls and page boys is a lovely additional touch
Your friends with young children do not feel torn and anxious about getting home and can thus relax and enjoy themselves
Weddings are a symbol of love and children are very much a part of this mix
Children often behave surprisingly well at events

CONS

Unruly misbehaviour
Anxious parents constantly rushing after children who cannot sit still (for this reason it is a good idea to provide the children’s corner option)
For those without children, having them around can be trying

Each wedding is different, and the decision for or against is up to you.