Should children be invited to weddings?
Yay or nay? The verdict is in..
At some point in the wedding planning process you’re going to have to make the decision whether or not to include little people. Read on as I take a look at the pros and cons..
Let’s face it, kids can be a bloody nightmare.
Plus, you know having a child free wedding gives all your pals with kids an excuse to call the baby sitters in so they can party hard on your big day. As a parent I know how few and far between opportunities to party are! Kids can be noisy, uncooperative and messy. Those vows you penned with your partner are bound to be ruined by a screaming infant or a nonchalant voice in the 3rd row stating they require a poo.
Of course, that’s one perspective that you could take. It’s a little different for photographers.
Invite kids for a complete wedding experience.
Having kids at your wedding, without question, makes it more lively.
Kids are truly chaotic at heart and can add a lot of fun and excitement to your wedding. They make for some excellent photographs that really capture the chaos and humour that little ones bring. They’re also fairly easy to manage if you provide a load of sugary snacks and have a venue where you can unleash them so they can roam free. They’ll probably be super tired come evening time. With any luck they’ll fall asleep early doors so you can finally have a proper catch up with those guests who have been on diligent parent duty.
But I do hear you. Yes, they’re also a right pain in the proverbial sometimes. And when the decision is made to include them it can take a bit of extra planning on your behalf.
Kids can be rather difficult to manage especially if there’s little to no entertainment for them. Also, if there are only limited options on the kids menu (ie not chips, pizza or ice cream). Ordering in 10x McDonald’s kids meals to the wedding just isn’t practical! Fortunately, most venues offer excellent choices and are fully-equipped to handle kids, even going as far as to offer “quiet” rooms where they can read and play video games.
Ultimately, this is your big day and it’s your own choice.
Don’t feel pressured either way just do what you feel is right. There are indeed pros and cons to having kids at your wedding. Are you willing to cope with a few small extra planning responsibilities (think food, entertainment, venue limitations) or would you prefer adult only celebrations for your wedding?
As a documentary wedding photographer I eat chaos, unpredictability and fun for breakfast. Little humans have all the these in abundance! The joy and happiness they bring to the day really does spread like wildfire. Plus, as subjects, they are photography gold.
The verdict to should kids be invited to weddings:
It’s a resounding YES from me.
I hope this post has been of some value to you. I’d love to hear what your thoughts are, whether you’re looking for a documentary wedding photographer or not.
If you love the images you see here and on the rest of the website head to the contact page or email me on info@jonnybarratt.com to check my availability for your wedding date.
