Children at Weddings - Should they be Banished?

July 9, 2008

I just read a good article from BBC Magazine, by way of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, about whether a couple should ban children from their weddings.  Some people are in favor of the ban and some are against it.  I believe that children only add to the atmosphere of wedding and should be happily included in the festive event.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I believe disruptive children should be tolerated throughout the event.  If a child gets out of control, then a wedding planner or a trusted friend can gently ask the family to remove the child until he or she calms down.  I don’t think we need to prevent all children from weddings in order to create the wedding of our dreams.

A videographer I know shot a wedding where a toddler played with a noisy toy firetruck during the wedding ceremony.  Now, that’s completely inappropriate because the ceremony is a religious rite that deserves respect and attention from all participants.  Unfortunately, no one escorted the child and the parents out of the church so he was allowed to disrupt the event and distract the audience from what was really important.

Some couples that are asked to keep their children at home feel very offended.  Their children are a part of their lives and should be included in a family event, such as a wedding.  A New Year’s Eve party, on the other hand, is usually a raucous event for adults only and it’s appropriate to leave the children at home. 

At the end of the article a mother-of-three laments the fact that they didn’t allow children to be a part of their wedding.  She states that “”...a wedding is a family occasion. The thought of us saying ‘no children’ now makes me feel awful.”

My husband and I had a few children at our wedding and they were completely well-behaved.  In fact, I am thrilled that they were a part of our wedding because they are family members and they deserved to be there.  A couple has to remember that a wedding is a celebration of love and family, not just an excuse to design the perfect event.

Have a great one!

Alison
Wedding Chicago