You might be planning to have your niece as an adorable flower girl, or your best friend’s son makes a wonderful page boy. Children at your wedding, whether part of the wedding party or as guests, can be funny and entertaining and add to the family atmosphere. But they are also unpredictable and more likely to get restless as the day goes on.
As with every other part of your wedding, the key is to plan ahead to cater for them. After all, the children you invite are your guests too. If you’ve decided to have a child friendly wedding, here are some great activities to keep them entertained throughout the day.
Kid friendly wedding reception ideas
If you’ve chosen to have a seated meal at your wedding reception, consider having a children’s table too – assuming that they are old enough to sit and eat without too much supervision. This allows them to have fun together instead of being stuck in between adult conversations, and feel a little bit grown up for the day as well.
It also makes it simpler to provide them with child friendly food, because, let’s be honest, they would rather have than pizza than salmon anyway. And when they finish earlier, they can sneak out to play with all the games you’ve provided while the grownups talk.
At Coton House we also cater for a more casual wedding vibe, with our Courtyard BBQ and street food style options. This works really well for weddings where you have a lot of children who will become restless in a formal dining room as they can move about more freely.
Supervising younger children at your wedding
Younger children will need a lot more supervision, which means their parents are likely to be a little more distracted. If you have a lot of smaller kids coming, you might choose to hire a local childminder for a few hours to take them outside or to a separate area, just while the speeches are underway.
And while we’re thinking about speeches, when you have toddlers and babies present, plan the seating so that they are right by the doors and farthest away from any microphones or video recording equipment. Then, if they do get frustrated and loud, the parent can whisk them outside easily and quietly, which they will probably appreciate too.
Games, fun and activities for children at your wedding
Once the ceremony is over, it’s time to relax and enjoy the party. So, while the grown-ups are talking and mingling with a glass of champagne, here are some ideas to entertain the kids.
Outside by the Oak Terrace we have a lovely, grassed area, perfect for lawn games such as giant Jenga, skittles or quoits. If you wanted to make it challenging, set up a treasure hunt with clues that lead them around the venue to the final prize – although remember that as they get more excited they tend to move in a faster and louder pack, so keep the clues as outdoors as possible. We’ve got plenty of room for a bouncy castle, ice cream cart or children’s entertainer too.
When it’s sunny, a simple way to entertain children in the lull between ceremony and wedding breakfast is to bring bubble guns for a safe and splash-free bubble fight – although be aware that bubble liquid can stain some materials so make sure the battle is away from your dress.
Set up a child zone where the kids can retreat for some downtime. Plan ahead with an extra-large colouring sheet that keeps them occupied while protecting tabletops at the same time, or a box of toys for the youngsters. If you have crafty kids, provide simple sticker kits with cardboard swords and crowns to decorate – all mess-free options that work well at a winter wedding when it’s too wet to be outside.
Your evening entertainment is much easier. All kids love a disco, and they’ll love the chance to boogie away on the dance floor with the adults. Just don’t forget the glow sticks.
And then, when they are finally running out of energy, let them wander off to the movie corner where you’ve left some giant floor cushions, a portable projector playing and some pre-bagged popcorn portions. They’ll be nestling down for a nap before you know it.
We love a family wedding. We are a family-owned business, after all, and we think it’s that personal touch that gives Coton House Farm such a unique, relaxed atmosphere for your wedding. If you’d like to visit our venue and talk about your ideas for a fun-filled child friendly wedding, just give us a call on 01543 432429.
