Kids or No Kids

hismrs Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:26 PM

Kids or No Kids

Ladies-

I need your help on this. My FH and I are requesting no children attend our wedding/reception. Our goal is to have a big adult party filled with drinking, good food and dancing. I just told a friend of mine and I literally heard crickets on the other end of the line.

What do you think? You can be honest, I can take it.

pa56 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:29 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

Honestly, it's your wedding and you should do whatever you and FH want!

Having said that, are there a lot of children in your families? Do a lot of your friends have kids? If so, many people will be hurt and offended... but then again, it is your wedding!

We have way too many kids in our families (cousins and friends have kids ) so we're inviting kids of our CLOSEST friends and relatives only.

hogie2be Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:29 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

most people do not have kids outside of the bp attend the reception. does this person have kids they would want to bring? why else would they care?

mathteach Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:31 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

My take is completely different than most, but here's my 2 cents.

I have 3 kids already, plus between DH's nieces and nephews and our neighbors, whom we've known all of their lives we had about 20 kids.

Can I tell you they made our wedding a party. My 9 year old son was dancing with my BM's and all of the teenagers were teaching the grown-ups how to do the line dances. While we only had 2 kids that were 3, they were out there partying with the rest of them. God Bless FM (Frank) because they requested a ton of Jonas Bros and rock & roll. When the guys went outside to smoke cigars, they played manhunt with the little kids.

There's my input.

Future Mrs Roo Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:33 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

Im not having anyone under 18 and thats that. Everyone is going to have a comment or opinion. If that is what you and FH want then they have to deal with it. My wedding is on a friday night and ending @ 1am. I dont feel that is an affair a child should be at. JMO

shcole08 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:35 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

i think its your wedding so do what you want. But, make sure you stick to it. It gets complex when you have out of town guests with kids and they have noone to watch them. I always said I would invite kids because I always felt bad when I wasen't invited as a kid. Besides, most of them RSVPed without kids so far.

DrWho Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:37 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

I give my standard response to such inquiries:

$30 FOR #$^%#$% CHICKEN NUGGETS! MY A$$!

Don't feel bad or feel you need to apologize. It's your wedding. You are not obligated to invite anyone, let alone everyone.

Celeste617 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:37 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

We are having a few kids only because we didn't have a choice. But for anyone else I know, they are looking forward to some time without the little ones! I say do what you want for your wedding! I guess it's different for me since I don't have any kids, but I don't understand how people can get offended by this - it's a party!

pa56 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:37 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

Posted by shcole08

i think its your wedding so do what you want. But, make sure you stick to it. It gets complex when you have out of town guests with kids and they have noone to watch them. I always said I would invite kids because I always felt bad when I wasen't invited as a kid. Besides, most of them RSVPed without kids so far.

Good point about sticking to it! My very good friend from business school RSVP'd 4 when I invited just 2 (her and her hubby). She is bringing her 10-month old twin daughters!

She already booked her flight and hotel. She is flying with two babies from Cleveland to New Jersey for me so I didn't have the heart to tell her no.

Thank god I'm inviting other people's kids because this could've gotten very ugly!

MakingofaMulligan Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:48 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

The decision is yours. I stuck with No kids. I'm sure some people might get uptight about it, but its my choice and I'm more comfortable without kids.

Most of my cousins were excited they could have a night out without their kids

sharivera Posted: Aug 12, 2008 05:57 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

Posted by DrWho

I give my standard response to such inquiries:

$30 FOR #$^%#$% CHICKEN NUGGETS! MY A$$!

Don't feel bad or feel you need to apologize. It's your wedding. You are not obligated to invite anyone, let alone everyone.

LMAO!!!! I say the same thing!!!! As I told my FH - 2 kids..becomes 20.. then we have Romper Room at our wedding with kids running around the room - mind you the room at our RH is not that big.

I have a similar predicament. We have cousins w/ children..my FH has 3 sisters and between them they have 5 kids... one of my FH's cousins has 6 kids!! we have to draw the line somewhere - so we already said all friends are invited w/ out children..now we're just trying to figure out what to do about children in the family.

Kristina2009 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 06:00 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

we are inviting kids of a few family members and friends who are close to us but not all kids. frankly i do not think anyone can get upset. fh's family has way to many kids for us to invite and all of them and we are funding a very expensive wedding solo. Our wedding is a formal late night affair - the kids we are inviting are our godchildren, siblings of our flowergirl and ringbearer and 3 kids which are children of our closest friends who we see regularly and really want to make the exception for on our big day - not because of their parents but because we want them to be therr and share in this day and hopefully remember it -- for them we will make the room and money.

alli3131 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 06:07 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

We are not inviting kids. The parents do not watch their kids and I'm not going to have someone responsible for them. Kids get cranky at midnight and I do not want it ruining my day.

gabandcarl Posted: Aug 12, 2008 06:08 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

Im not having kids. The reception ends at 12:30 at night and its really not the place for them. We are having the same problem with some people as well.

sophisticat13 Posted: Aug 12, 2008 06:09 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

WIth a couple of exceptions (a friend flying in from Fla who was breastfeeding her 6 month-old and my flower girl and her baby sister-that's it!!!) I had no children at my wedding. I felt and still do feel that a wedding is a party for adults only...(especially when kid's plates were $50pp!!!)
JMHO!!

hismrs Posted: Aug 12, 2008 07:23 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

Thanks so much! I was starting to freak out when I heard crickets on the other end of the phone. My reception ends at 12:30 and I dont want ot have to worry about kids falling asleep or getting cranky.

Now, I feel better. I might come back for more support with my wedding a year away the drama has just begun!

lanamanitta Posted: Aug 12, 2008 07:25 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

NO kids. Weddings are for adults, not kids.

cynandkeith Posted: Aug 12, 2008 07:32 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

we are ONLY having the kids that are in the BP to the reception and then i'm looking into getting a babysitter for even those kids- cause i want the parents (my brothers and FSIL's) to actually have fun and not have to worry about chasing their kids around.....

HamptonsBride Posted: Aug 12, 2008 07:47 PM

Re: Kids or No Kids

...it's like my dogs...i love them but i don't feel like they belong everywhere cause not everyone enjoys dogs! To me it's not a matter of kids belonging at a wedding or not...but a bride's personal choice...and people should respect BOTH the choice of having them or NOT having them at their wedding...

the only kids at our wedding were the BP kids...who also happened to be a niece & nephews....we did hire & pay for babysitting for our OOT guests (which i thought was a nice gesture)...i found it rude when people got upset i was not having kids at the wedding...if i don't want kids of my own, what makes you think i want yours running around my wedding?