If you have children attending your wedding, be them friends and family, or kids of your own, then you may be looking for ways to keep these children entertained at your wedding. Attending the celebration from the marriage ceremony, right through to the end of the reception, can be challenging for children of any age, but by doing a little preparation in advance you can help them pass the time when it comes to the boring bits, and enjoy the special day to the full.
Here are 5 ways to keep children entertained at your wedding;
Set up a movie room
It might be possible to use a room in the wedding venue to set up a DVD player and screen for the children to watch movies if they wish. This could be an ideal after dinner activity for them, when speeches can be long and you don’t want small children interrupting. With the use of headphones, you could even have two separate movies playing for different age groups, or if suitable also have a games console setup. At Warwick House, our Warwick Room is the perfect use for this.
Give out goody bags
Making up goody bags for the children attending the wedding is a good way of keeping them occupied. You can personalise them too if you wish, for example if there is an older child who enjoys crafting or puzzles, these are activities that can be included, and for younger children perhaps pencils and paper or small jigsaws and toys. Another good idea is to include a disposable camera in each goody bag and encourage the children to take photographs for you throughout the day and evening, or bubbles are always fun! At Warwick House, we have Kids packs, which are a great distraction for the children.
Set up a quiet space
Similar to the movie room concept, a room in the wedding venue can be used for parents and carers of babies and infants to use for taking time out with the children, or giving children a space to go and relax, play a game or whatever else is needed. Arrange this with the wedding venue in advance, most are accommodating when it comes to meeting such needs.
Hire a nanny or entertainer
If you want the adults to be able to eat and drink and enjoy a hassle free wedding reception with other adults, consider hiring a nanny or someone who can take care of the children and play with them, keeping them effortlessly occupied. The kids can still be part of the special day, but it means that if they do want to play or go to another room for some playtime, the adults don’t need to miss out. Hiring a nanny is also a good idea if you have a kids table at the meal, ensuring they have a responsible adult who can sit with them.
Send out a note to parents
As a bride, it isn’t necessarily your responsibility to occupy the children, in which case it might be useful to enclose a note in with the wedding invitation stating that you welcome children to bring along an iPad, phone or favourite toy to keep them entertained. Most parents will be relieved that you understand the children might get bored and understand their need to bring a game or device.