Children at the Reception

Nine times out of ten, you will have children attending your wedding reception. This could be because of family or other close relatives or especially those traveling from out of town who otherwise would not be able to come unless they brought their children. With a few special touches, you could make them the happiest age group around. Below are a few ideas to cater to the younger crowd.

Under 5

Hopefully, most children in this age group will be at home with a baby-sitter. This age group is very hard to control and to keep occupied for a long period of time. However, if they have to be there, here are a few things to consider:

You might want to check with your reception site to see if they would be able to provide booster seats, high chairs and diaper-changing stations in the restrooms. If they don't, let the parents know so they can bring the necessary supplies.

Seat the family with this age group with other families who are also bringing young children. If the little one starts crying, they tend to be more understanding than a group of single 20-somethings. If there will not be any other families bringing children in this age group, then try to seat them with the most patient people you know.

Another option is to hire a baby-sitter (someone you know and trust) to be there on site. You will need to check with your reception site to see if there would be a room you could use for this purpose. You may have to pay an extra charge for the room, but it well may be worth the money in order to have peace of mind for yourself as well as the guests at the reception.

Ages 5 - 10

If there are enough children in this age group to fill a table, consider seating them together. It would be highly suggested to hire a baby-sitter to sit at the table with them to keep them under control.

Below are a few more ideas for this age group:

If you choose to have a children’s table, cover it with a paper tablecloth so they can draw on it. For a centerpiece, provide a bucket of crayons and/or travel-type games. Or, if you don’t like the idea of them drawing on the “tablecloth”, you could purchase some coloring books instead.

Ask your reception site or caterer if they offer children’s meals at a reduced cost.

If you are doing the bouquet toss and/or garter throw for adults, have a candy toss for the children. This way, the children can participate and you won’t have to worry about a six-year-old catching the garter.

If you think these children may want to dance, consider doing the chicken dance. Adults may cringe, but children love it!

For favors, send them home with goody bags filled with candy and small toys. Make sure the toys are age appropriate.

Ages 11 - 16

Definitely seat this age group together. This is the in-between age where they are too old to sit with the younger children and not quite old enough to sit with the adults (and usually don’t want to.) It’s highly unlikely you will need an adult at this table, but it’s a good idea to place them near an adult table just to make sure they do behave. Other than that, treat this group as you would any adult.

For the toast, you could serve this age group sparkling cider.

I hope the above tips will help you have a smooth and successful reception with children of all ages.

(Sorry for the blurry picture above.)