ABSOLUTELY, We’re including Kids!
Sometimes having children at a wedding ceremony is absolutely the right thing to do. Again, you, as the marriers, have the right to decide.
There really is only one reason to have children at your wedding: it will make you happy.
These are the keys to successfully including kids in your wedding. You love the kids and they are part of your life. The kids want to be included and be a part of your day. They have had things explained to them. They know exactly what is expected of them. They understand why it’s important to the couples. If things go awry, it’s not a big deal. What you have asked the kids to do is completely do-able for them.
It’s a good idea to have things that kids can do – with other children, or with adults. Make the reception kid-friendly: lawn games, swings, bubbles, fun food, colouring stations, safe places to hang out, toys, child-appropriate food, snacks, candy, hired child-minders to lead activities.
The bride was overjoyed to see this sweet vision in her party-dress patiently waiting for her turn to say congratulations.
Precious Moments with Children
“Let him go!”
A few weeks ago I officiated a niece’s wedding in Ontario. The bride’s 11-month old nephew (my great-nephew!) was sitting in his Dad’s arms in the front row. About halfway through the ceremony he got squirmy, so his Dad sat him on the floor. he was happy there for a bit and then set off crawling, checking back over his shoulder to see if his Dad was watching. As the child got closer to the two-step-up dais we were on, his Dad scooped him up again. The squirming escalated to high-pitch squealing, so I just looked over to the Dad and quietly said “Let him go! He’ll be fine.”
I would WAY rather have a happy little kid crawling around than have a screeching one interrupting the ceremony.
“Do you like the words?”
It was a backyard summertime wedding with a number of families, children included. It was all very casual and homey. After the ceremony there was food and mingling. We did the signing after the ceremony and a toast, so I was hanging around for a bit longer than usual. It was hot so I had a refreshing beverage, and was just standing in the shade. A young girl, maybe 6 or 7, in her flowery sundress and bare feet came over to chat. She was balancing a floppy paper plate of vegetables in one hand, as she popped the cherry tomatoes and cucumber rounds into her mouth. “I needa ask you something. Are you the lady who said the words?” I said I was. “So, do you like the words? You know, the words you say.” And I said well yes, I usually like the words and if I don’t, I change them to nicer words. “No. that’s not what I mean. (chew chew chew) I mean do like saying the words? Do you like being there, being up there, saying the words that make people married?”
In my mind, I’m thinking “Are you 40? Where is this depth coming from?!”
“Why yes,” I say. “I do like saying the words very much. It makes people happy.” She continues to look at me very earnestly. “And it makes my heart very happy, too.”
“Yah, I thought so,” she says. “You looked like an angel.”
Huh.
Fight, Flight Or Freeze: When Adrenaline Kicks In.
It was the best start to a very fun ceremony! (Photo: Kea Mowat Photography)
P.S. Apologies for not having the photo credit for the Feature Photo at the top. I love this photo because this little girl was one of the chosen 10 at the wedding during Covid-times. It was very poignant.
