3 Nephews & 2 Nieces. How to include them??

kstrieter

Hi all,

  Between my fiance' and I we have 3 nephews (ages 8, 5, 4) and 2 nieces (ages 6 & 2).  We would like to include all of them if possible in the wedding.  We have not selected flower girls, ring bearers, junior bridesmaid, etc. at this time.  We also are not allowing any other small children except for them.

  Any suggestions of how to have them involved would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

MuppetFan

I'm drawing blanks with ideas that won't make it look like a kindergarten.

Maybe 2 flower girls, 2 ring bearers and the 8 year old be a cute honorary groomsman?

Or maybe just have them in lots of photos?

AddieCake

Personally, I think that's too many kids in the wedding. If you have to "come up with" roles for them, it's too many.  Either pare it down to a few or none and just have pics with all of them. 

kjlamb

jr. bride & jr. groom, ring bearer & Flower Girl, Jr. Groomsman

kaos16

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_3-nephews-2-nieces-how-to-include-them?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:84538943-b6e5-415b-b128-e45ef8e8b906Post:525ec42c-6ba9-4b15-b32d-70f5afaee215">Re: 3 Nephews & 2 Nieces. How to include them??</a>:
[QUOTE]jr. bride & jr. groom, ring bearer & Flower Girl, Jr. Groomsman
Posted by kjlamb[/QUOTE]

Please don't have Junior Brides and Grooms, it's so odd!

Perhaps you could just have a lovely group picture with them.  Maybe give them each a corsage or boutenniere to wear to feel special.

pegasuskat

We are a close family too, and I would want to include them like you.  I don't think 2 flower girls and 2 ring bearers is over the top at all, I have been to a lot of weddings like that.  The  older boy I would make either a usher or a groomsmen.

MuppetFan

group picture sounds good. Maybe their mission is to dance during the reception.Any job feels important to a kid

AddieCake

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_3-nephews-2-nieces-how-to-include-them?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:84538943-b6e5-415b-b128-e45ef8e8b906Post:525ec42c-6ba9-4b15-b32d-70f5afaee215">Re: 3 Nephews & 2 Nieces. How to include them??</a>:
[QUOTE]j<strong>r. bride & jr. groom</strong>, ring bearer & Flower Girl, Jr. Groomsman
Posted by kjlamb[/QUOTE]
In the name of all that is holy....no. 

MuppetFan

JoanE2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_3-nephews-2-nieces-how-to-include-them?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:84538943-b6e5-415b-b128-e45ef8e8b906Post:525ec42c-6ba9-4b15-b32d-70f5afaee215">Re: 3 Nephews & 2 Nieces. How to include them??</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>jr. bride & jr. groom,</strong> ring bearer & Flower Girl, Jr. Groomsman
Posted by kjlamb[/QUOTE]

That is so creepy.  Please don't do that.

Peledreamsofrain

Post removed due to GBCK

krpenney

I feel ya: between us, my fiance and I have four nieces (7, 5, 2, 1) and four nephews (5, 2, 1, 1).   We both come from very close families, so we've asked all the girls to be flower girls and all the boys to be ring bearers.  Yes, we might be slightly crazy.  But we're also realistic- if anyone's pitching a fit, we aren't going to force them down the aisle, we've arranged for babysitters for the toddlers, my mom is THRILLED about putting together coloring sheets for the older kids, and we also aren't making them stand for the whole ceremony.  We're also toying with the idea of using a wagon to pull the younger ones down the aisle, just for the cuteness factor.  

For your particular situation, if you're not going to invite other children, it will be easier to explain your nieces' and nephews' presence to others by saying "they're our flower girls and ring bearers."  Not that you should have to explain any decision about your wedding, but I imagine you'll get at least one call asking why precious darling 3 year old Suzie Screams-A-Lot wasn't on the invitation.

NYCBride2013

I would just have the 3 boys as ringbearers and the 2 girls as flowergirls.  I don't think thats too many kids.  I think it's better to include the people that you want then to cut people for the sake of sticking to an arbitrary number. 

I also don't think 8 is too old to be a ring bearer but that's just my opinion.  I think Jr. Groomsman may be too much for an 8 year old to handle but every kid is different and it depends what you are asking them to do.  If the groomsmen have to stand the whole time I think that may be a lot for a child but if you are having a church wedding where they sit with all other guests than Jr. Groomsman should work.

OjitosVerdes

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_3-nephews-2-nieces-how-to-include-them?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:84538943-b6e5-415b-b128-e45ef8e8b906Post:19b48c26-c342-4aef-9a44-1744c3772581">Re: 3 Nephews & 2 Nieces. How to include them??</a>:
[QUOTE]I feel ya: between us, my fiance and I have four nieces (7, 5, 2, 1) and four nephews (5, 2, 1, 1).   We both come from very close families, so we've asked all the girls to be flower girls and all the boys to be ring bearers.  Yes, we might be slightly crazy.  But we're also realistic- if anyone's pitching a fit, we aren't going to force them down the aisle, we've arranged for babysitters for the toddlers, my mom is THRILLED about putting together coloring sheets for the older kids, and we also aren't making them stand for the whole ceremony.  We're also toying with the idea of using a wagon to pull the younger ones down the aisle, just for the cuteness factor.   For your particular situation, if you're not going to invite other children, it will be easier to explain your nieces' and nephews' presence to others by saying "they're our flower girls and ring bearers."  Not that you should have to explain any decision about your wedding, but I imagine you'll get at least one call asking why precious darling 3 year old Suzie Screams-A-Lot wasn't on the invitation.
Posted by krpenney[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>We're in a similar situation as well, although we only have a total of four.  For space reasons, we must exclude a LOT of kids and are only making exceptions for nieces/nephews - and just as you've said, we thought it would be easier to explain that as them being in the bridal party. (And both sets of parents would have thrown a fit if they weren't anyway). </div><div>
</div><div>They're all pretty well behaved so i'm not overly concerned, but just in case, right after the processional they will be seated with their parents in one of the front two rows so that if they need to be escorted out of the chapel, that can happen relatively easy. 

</div><div>Edited to say - they will be flower girls and ring bearers - none of that Jr. business. </div>

NYCBride2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_3-nephews-2-nieces-how-to-include-them?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:84538943-b6e5-415b-b128-e45ef8e8b906Post:ddeb2a16-3376-4e87-98f7-0954a24287a8">Re: 3 Nephews & 2 Nieces. How to include them??</a>:
[QUOTE]Groomsmen walk down the aisle and stand next to the groom.  Good grief.  That is NOT "too much for an eight-year-old to handle."  My Maid of Honor was twelve!  My brother was a groomsman in my sister's wedding at six! A guy who's 8 may regard RB as a "baby job" as well.  Ask him. All bridesmaids and groomsmen, regardless of age, walk down the aisle and smile. There is thus no need for that "junior" business at all.  I'm 49 and I never heard of that until The Knot.
Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

I was simply saying that groomsman may be too much for some 8 year olds to handle.  Standing for an extended ceremony would be boring for most kids.  The point I was trying to make is that I think it could go either way, ring bearer or groomsman.  The child's parents no their kid and can decide.

Additionally. I have never heard of jr. groomsman either.  I was simply just copying what other people wrote.  I thought we were just referring to him as little.  I didn't think that would be the actual title.

kstrieter

Thanks for the helpful ideas!!