KIDS: Advice

mkarns

I originally didn't want kids at my wedding, but we have family coming from out of town with kids, and my sister surprised me with wanting to bring her boyfriends kid, etc etc.

My question is...What is the cut-off age for considering a kid a "guest". Financially...We're paying for an adult meal + open bar for every guest attending. Since we know children won't be appreciating a ton of Chicken Marsala and Shrimp Scampi, nor will they be drinking...Why should we have to pay for them as a guest?

I'm wondering...Should we make a kids table that serves kid-friendly food and beverage? Or would the parents want the kids to sit with them? We're talking limited space here.

Gimme some ideas, girls!

dandan83

What age range are the children going to be? Obviously smaller ones would probably be best sitting with their parents. Some parents might also prefer older children sitting with them as well. If you can, maybe ask your sister or some of your friends how they would feel about a table just for the kids. If you go this route I would suggest have some activities on the table for the children such as coloring books, or puzzles.

Talk to your caterer about childrens meals. Most of them will offer this option, and from what I've read it is cheaper than the adult meal. And to answer your question any child that's old enough to eat a meal would be a "guest".

swjb2010

Agree with PP. Your caterer will probably have a standard protocol for children so you should ask him/her.

I'm going to have a bunch of kids at my wedding too. I'm hesitant to make a kids' table where only they sit. It seems like it encourages parents to leave them to their own devices thus increasing the potential that they get out of hand. Maybe having a station somewhere with some crayons and coloring books or a few other small toys that they can pick up and bring to their table might not be a bad idea? That way kids can still sit with parents and parents can help them find something to occupy themselves.

dandan83

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_virginia_kids-advice?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:236Discussion:af4b8d52-7065-45ea-828c-4447c330ecdbPost:37d7cbb4-eac2-471b-88dd-57cb269cbe97">Re: KIDS: Advice</a>:
[QUOTE]Agree with PP. Your caterer will probably have a standard protocol for children so you should ask him/her. I'm going to have a bunch of kids at my wedding too. I'm hesitant to make a kids' table where only they sit. It seems like it encourages parents to leave them to their own devices thus increasing <strong>the potential that they get out of hand</strong>. Maybe having a station somewhere with some crayons and coloring books or a few other small toys that they can pick up and bring to their table might not be a bad idea? That way kids can still sit with parents and parents can help them find something to occupy themselves.
Posted by swjb2010[/QUOTE]

This is a good point. It may not be intentional, but with alot of people it could be a problem. Maybe you could make a childrens welcome bag?
You might also want to see if there is a room that the kids can go to to maybe just chill out for a little while away from the crowd and noise if needed.

mkarns

Yea in my venue there's not a whole lot of extra rooms. I like the idea of making a Kids bag, and I will definitely talk to my caterer about this. I'm going to have to play hard ball though because you KNOW caterers are in it for the $$. I'm not paying 20 dollars per plate of chicken nuggets and macaroni. LOL

dandan83

Good luck!