I am losing sleep..pLease help.

Hi everyone,
You guys give the best ideas and solve my problems so here's another:

I am a preschool teacher and for now so is fh. we have 72 students together. we are inviting them to the ceremony only. We are having cake, cookies and cheese and crackers after the ceremony in the basement of the church for the kids and their parents. it is my hope that this will only take about 30 minutes.


Here's the real problem:
I want to have about 4 of my special students to be flower girls and carry my banner. I know this is unfair so I wont do it, especially since i still have to work with these kids and parents until june!
do you think in their invites i should ask the parents to let the boys wear suits or shirts and ties and have the girls wear nice dresses and they can walk down the aisle and throw rose petals? I love my kids and i do want to incorporate them into my wedding. we can practice at school, too. I think it would be so adorable.

Opinions please?

Wait...you're having all the kids (or girls) throw flower petals because your don't want to single out the four?

I hate to throw cold water on this, but having all those kids walk down the aisle could be chaotic. How about they attend the ceremony and throw rose petals with the rest of the crowd as you and DH walk out of the ceremony?

Re: practicing at school, is that OK with your principal and parents for using class time for your wedding?

As for the dress code, yes, I think it's OK to indicate that dresses or suits are the dress code. Include it in a slip of paper separate from the invitation. That said, I suggest preparing yourself for casually dressed kids--the parents may not have the money to spend on a suit or dress they'll outgrow in a flash, or the kid may throw a tantrum the day of your wedding as they're getting dressed.

Good luck!

It is really nice of you and your FH to want to include your students in your wedding, but 72 preschool children in a basement with cookies and cake....something tells me that you will be going from bride and groom to stressed out teachers in no time at all. As a teacher myself, I also don't know if it would be appropriate for you to be practicing for your wedding during class time. You may want to consider asking if any parents would like their children to be in the wedding party and pick 4 or so names out of a hat. In this way, no one could be offended. Good luck!

I think you have to be careful with this one! I don't know where you guys teach, but be prepared that a lot of kids won't have the proper attire for this...so asking that they wear suits/ties and dresses might not be so happily received by parents.

Also, do you think all of the kids will come? I don't know how close you 2 are with the parents of the kids, but they're really the ones who will have to drive the kids to the ceremony and use their time to do so, etc.

Definitely no signaling specific kids out from the bunch.

I agree that having them all walk down the aisle will be too much. Unless it's something you really really want. I think having them outside throwing roses along with everyone else is a great idea. The cookies and soda is going above and beyond, so I'm sure they'll all appreciate that.

I think your heart is in the right place, but all I see is chaos, not to mention cookies and milk all over your dress.
I'm not a teacher, but if they're preschool kids, are they really going to understand the...tone of a wedding. I'll tell you, the last wedding i went to a month ago, there were a group of moms in the back who were wives of the groomsmen. They all brought their kids, i would say ages 5 and under to the church to watch daddy in the ceremony. Their were about 10 kids I'd say and they were really loud. And then there was the shushing on top of the kids to make them quiet and you know how that escalates things. The moms brought some books and toys, which they proceeded to bang on the floor, and then they started to whine about not wanting to sit there anymore. Only natural of course,but all I could think of was the poor bride who was having her ceremony drowned out by all the kids. And there were only around 10 of them. And this wasn't even a full mass.

Like i said, your heart is in the right place but you might want to reconsider and be practical.

I agree with everyone else...that's way too many kids walking down the aisle.

Maybe you could have them line up on the sides (or just 1 side) of the aisle and throw petals as you walk down the aisle, assuming the aisle is wide enough.

Just a thought.

You must really love your kids, but I think you are crazy for wanting to bring your 'work' to a personal social event... nonetheless the most important day of your life...

They are all going to want your attention and you will have kids runnin up to you stepping all over your dress. Its bad enough to try to make time during the wedding to make your rounds, and to add an additonal 72 kids to the mix...

wow 72 kids ~ I give you a lot of credit for even thinking of doing something like this ~ I think you might have some choas but i think the thought is so cute and that is what means the most it is your day I would do what you want but this might be a toughy! Maybe have a special picture with you and your FH with all the kids.... after the ceremony!