How to keep your event adult-only without offending guests  If many of your wedding guests have children, the decision to invite their little ones can be a difficult one. You might envision your special day as a romantic, formal, adults-only affair or perhaps your budget simply doesn’t leave room for you to invite children. If that’s the case, you need to be comfortable with your decision and stand your ground. 

Let your guests know ahead of time  If you are not planning to invite your guests’ children, let them know before the invitations go out that the event will be an adult-only affair. Some of your friends and family members may be upset about this, so be prepared to get an earful. Make sure you stand your ground and explain your reasoning in a calm and polite manner. 

Have an evening event  Typically, evening events are more formal than and not as kid-friendly as afternoon affairs. Guests are less likely to be offended if their children aren’t invited to an event that is scheduled to end late in the evening. Little ones will be tired at a late-night event, so not inviting children will be more understandable. 

Suggest babysitting services  Does your venue offer babysitting services or is there a location nearby that can watch little ones? Make a list of these places and send information along with the invitations to those with small children. They’ll appreciate that you took the time to research babysitters for them. 

Make sure your stance on inviting children applies to all guests  Don’t play favorites when it comes to inviting children. Don’t let friends or family members guilt you into inviting their kids –if you give in, it will create tension and drama come wedding day. If you plan on having children in the wedding party, consider having them stay for just the ceremony. If you plan on having them at the reception as well, notify guests that only children in the wedding party will be at the reception. 

Don’t feel guilty  Remember it’s okay to have the wedding day you’ve always envisioned, even if that means children won’t be invited. If you’d like to have children present, but it’s not in the budget to invite them, don’t feel bad. Everyone has a budget and if you do decide to invite children, keep in mind that you may need to dip into the budget you set for décor or music. 

By: Lauren Finnegan