No Means No! The Adults-Only Reception

Every bride must decide whether the invitations to married couples will also be extended to the couple’s children. There are good reasons for not allowing children at a wedding reception, but ultimately it is a decision of the bride and groom to allow or disallow children.

If you do not want children at your wedding, make this clear to your guests by addressing the invitation only to the couple. It’s improper to write “No Children” or “No Kids” on the invitation or an insert, however you may indicate that the reception is “Adults Only.” If your guests RSVP with their children included, you may have to let them know personally that the reception is meant for adults only. If guests insist, you may have to be firm in enforcing your policy. Family members can sometimes assist in convincing a reluctant guest to respect your wishes.

If you do not plan to include children in your invitations, you should exclude all children, including those who are part of your wedding party, and infants who are nursing. If you permit exceptions for some children and not others, guests who respected your wishes may be put off when they find some children at your reception. By not inviting your guests’ children, you do run the risk that your invited guests will decline your invitation. There’s nothing wrong with this, if you can accept this risk.

If couples must travel from some distance to attend your wedding and leaving the children at home is not an option, you may consider hiring a sitter to stay with the children while your guests attend your reception. This is somewhat easier to do if your reception is being held at or near a hotel. Parents of children who require a sitter can split the cost of a room for the evening, or the hotel may have a small meeting space that can accommodate children during your event. Your guests can check on their children as often as they feel it necessary, and still enjoy the reception.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding
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