Dear Bride and Groom,

You may not have even discussed whether you are happy to have children coming to your wedding, or not, yet. If you have chosen to have a young flower girl (or bridesmaid) and a pageboy then you have made this decision without a second thought.

Some parents like to leave the kids at home when they go to a wedding. They may see it as an opportunity to catch up with friends or family they haven’t seen in years, and let their hair down a little. On the other side, it’s a great chance to show off the family and they can certainly add to the atmosphere of the wedding – and lets not forget the adorable photo moments they create.

It is a long day for children, and even the best-behaved will eventually get a little restless. Here are a few ideas for entertaining and occupying them on your big day.

Garden Games

If you are having your reception in a venue, which has an outside area, garden, or grounds then you might want to consider hiring a few garden games. Giant Connect 4 or Jenga are instant winners. Easy to set up, easy to manage and the adults get a kick out of it too!

Craft Table

Ask your venue to set up a small table for you in a corner of the reception. Provide some colouring books, crayons and ‘dry’ art materials so they can colour, make and play. You might consider some ‘wedding’ themed crafts like decorating a lucky horseshoe or designing a wedding dress. There are plenty of ready-made sets out there so you don’t have to make activities up yourself!

Candid Camera

If they are old enough (5 or 6 years +) then you could consider buying a couple of disposable cameras to allow them to take a few pictures themselves. You could set them a checklist of images to shoot or things they have to find. They will feel really important and you will get lovely pictures from their view of the wedding.

Special Treats

Young people have great fun pretending to be adults. They will see your guests sipping on champagne, eating canapés and nibbling on decadent treats. Ask your venue or caterer to create some children friendly treats and cocktails. Ask them to make sure they are healthy and low in sugar (so they don’t get too hyper) and lay them out specially.

I would also recommend designating a child friendly person to watch over your younger guests and make sure they are having a good time – and not getting into any trouble. Knowing you have someone watching over them while make you feel much more comfortable.

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

ps - for more tips, ideas and inspiration, visit our blog: http://www.yourlondonweddingplanner.co.uk/blog/