information leaflet wording re children at wedding - help please!

Im a parent myself and i think thats a lovely thing to put much better than not inviting them at all like a lot of other brides lol i personally wouldnt leave early anyway though and im sure your friends will stay as long as possible

I have children too and that sounds great to me.

I have children and it sounds great, I wouldnt leave early just because I had my children with me, 1 late night, once in a blue moon won't harm them. ?

Thanks for your replies everyone, that's really helpful and very reassuring to know that I'm probably not going to offend too many people!

WSS

Points taken. I guess what we are really trying to say is "if bringing your kids is going to mean you have to leave before the reception, please make alternative arrangements for them!"

We don't mind children, but we really want to spend our day with their parents. The other alternative would be not to invite kids at all, but I think that puts peoples backs up a lot more!

Unfortunately our venue doesn't have space for a quiet room otherwise that would be a good idea....it's essentially one big room with an outside area.

I wouldn tsay anything tbh as sange & kharv said

I see what you're getting at, but surely they'll have thought of this themselves and won't need it pointed out to them. If you want to keep it in, there's nothing wrong with the wording you've got, but sometimes there can be too much information.

Ok. Do you think we should bother to make it clear that there won't be a quiet childrens area or leave it to the parents to ask? If we say that children are invited, does that mean we are obliged to provide activities for them? We are not planning to do this.

No your not obliged.

i think if you want the kids there...leave it dont say anything & parent will ask if they want to know about activities...to which you say no

OR

You cut your losses & say 2we want this to be a day of relaxation for you parents so we're sorry but leave your kids at home(obvd worded better)

Hi

We've been to lots of weddings with our little boy and he has been absolutely fine, we never leave early as he is usually happy playing with other children and dancing. My little boy manages well staying up the odd time we do it, my sisters son is a nightmare though so when it was her friends wedding we made arrangements to collect him when he was ready to go home so they could enjoy their friends wedding in the evening and he was happy too. I think most parents will be able to work out for themselves what to do regarding their children and if you write something it might confuse people or make them think things that you don't actually mean.

I've never been to a wedding where there is a quiet area or entertainment for children and I would never expect it, its our job to keep them happy not yours so I doubt anyone would expect you to do something specific for children I wouldn't say anything about that either. It's lovely that your thinking about others so much but I personally wouldn't worry about it.

Claire

Thanks everyone! We've decided that we're going to write the parents' names but not the names of the children on the invitations, and then mention in the wedding information leaflet that they are welcome to bring their children and to just let us know on the RSVP. That way as the children aren't personally invited but not excluded either, people can make their own minds up what they would rather do.

Really appreciate all the comments!

LOL you are just a very nice bride. I told my important guest that they had better arrange for their kids to be picked up by 8pm!!(For my kids & BMs I will arrange for a babysitting service. For my sons christening in nov '11 we wrote this on invites

"PLease come to the christening of........at.........time.....with an evening pary for adults only (something like that but nicer) No one took offence cause they know me & H2B like to arty, Most parents will arrange for their kids to be picked up and if they dont they are mad lol!!!

Thanks for the reassurance katgreene - one thing I've learned about weddings and children since we started planning is that we will inevitably end up offending someone! The way I see it if people mind that we haven't named their kids personally on the invites even though they can bring them then....they can be offended!

Think thats a good idea, not including their names on the invite, I'm going to be in the same position soon, my friends have little ones and alot of family do, I'm happy for all to be their through the day, but on the night i want the parents to have a good night, I'm happy for children to be at the evening or go home if the parents wish.

At previous weddings, some couples have arranged for their children to be picked up and others have let them stay but leave abit earlier. I would be more upset if it was close friends who did this, but seen as they are close i can say this too them, cousins etc that i aren't that close to i don't mind if they leave early.

xx