Going through our guestlist and we have ended up with a very small number of evening guests, to the point that we decided we might as well try to include them all for the whole day.
The trouble is, we were originally not inviting children of evening guests. Two couples now promoted to day guests are fiance's work colleagues and partners. I have met Couple A's two children, and am very happy to include them. Couple B have four children who we have never met. If we invite these six children, this would almost double the number of children attending our wedding! So I have three options:
1. Invite all six children. We have the budget (although two couples plus children would take up a whole table!) and they might not want to bring them anyway. Ignore that we are paying £120 for the privilege of having four small strangers to run riot. [I'm exaggerating for dramatic effect - I don't think they would run riot, but I suppose they might!]
2. Invite the two children I know but exclude the others. Not sure whether this would cause offence. I went to Couple A's baby shower so it is clear we have more of a relationship with them, but Couple B will see there are other children there too (albeit other children we know).
3. Don't invite any of the six children. Likely Couple A won't come for a whole day without their kids. If they do come without children, they will see the seven children we have invited and this may cause offence, especially as I see Couple A's oldest daughter fairly regularly. Couple B is less likely to be offended than in option 2, as theirs are not the only children excluded.