Are you thinking about Kids attending your Wedding?

Inviting children to a wedding will either be a charming experience or a disaster! You have some options to improve your chances of providing an engaging and memorable experience for the children at your wedding. And not the kind of memory where people just hear screams or watch a wedding cake topple over. Make a "kid plan".

9 Ways to Make a Wedding Day Kids Plan

1. How many children are attending and what are their ages? Any special needs or diets?
2. Hire a babysitter (or more than one depending on the number of children. You can gauge the number of sitters you will need based on your state's law for childcare providers - child to adult ratio). Let your family and friends enjoy the wedding not work at it.
3. Order your kid favors and party supplies about 4-8 weeks prior to the event date. Purchase your kids favors and Bingo cards here on Bridal Letter. If you are on a tight budget, get your party supplies from the dollar store where the party supplies are in plain colors so it is easier to blend it with your own wedding colors.
4. Cater the food and beverages. Choose drink containers that won't allow spells and finger foods that are as non-messy as possible, but are very eye and tummy appealing to children.
5. Create a kid zone. This can be a simple area or an extravagant one based on your budget and wishes. Simple and keep it from being an overwhelming experience for them. Seating, table, crafts (that are not too messy) if you want them to eat at this table, instruct your catering staff. You don't need a toy store, just keep in mind self-entertaining and self-rewarding toys, crafts and games. And nothing that has potential for creating big messes both for tables, chairs, clothing and little fingers that touch many things and people.
6. Consider safety. Make it a child safe area and easily monitored by the babysitter(s). This will also ensure children leave with the family they came with. Include a list with the child's name and names of the people allowed to pick them up.
7. Decide what you want to offer the children. A movie? (you will need wiring that is taped down to plug a tv in and prevent any tripping over wires) and a vcr with a few kid movies. Or just things they can do. A table or bench to accommodate the number of children attending. Plastic table covers, extra drawing paper and crayons.
8. Clean up. Make sure you have hand sanitizers, napkins or paper towels and wet wipes. Keep a trash can near by.
9. Wrap up. Award prizes (candy and small trinkets) for best art work and for winning bingo games. Let the kids put the crafts they make back into their favor bag and take their new treasures home.

Make it an enjoyable and engaging experience for them, just as you are for all of your guests. Wedding craft tables will be the next great option for guests with children. Disposable cameras are a great and engaging way to get them involved in the wedding. You would be surprised the pictures they can capture. I gave a little 8 year old girl my camera at Thanksgiving one year, she took such awesome pictures! I was so busy cooking, I never had time to take such cool pictures of every one there. Looking back on that now; so many of those people I will never see again, so I really treasure those pictures,

View gift options for kids:

http://www.bridalletter.com/Kids_Favors.html

By A Wedding Theme, Brenda Green 2012(c)

I love the idea of a photo booth at a wedding. Make sure the kids get their time in there too. They can take their pictures and attach them to any of the paper craft items in the kids favor bags.

They can use the little drawing book, put it on the bookmark or attach it to one of the tags. Any of them will hold the photo booth images.

Add some fun props for the kids in the booth that will get them giggeling. Funny sayings, signs. Bunny ears or silly hats.