6 Tips for Attending a Wedding with Your Kids

Whether you’re a bridesmaid or groomsman, a member of the family, or are simply attending as a guest, going to a wedding and bringing your young kids can be controversial incredibly stressful. Kids are known for their adorable faces and funny sayings, but they’re also known for taking off and going places and getting into things they shouldn’t—and they do it faster than you can blink. The last thing you want is your kid unexpectedly ending up as part of the ceremony or somehow adding color to the bride’s white dress.

As stressful as it can be, there are some things that you can do to prepare for the event and make sure that things go as smoothly as possible. For example, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a bridesmaid dress or a dress to wear for the event and worrying it will get soiled before the end of the night, you can shop sites like Azazie for stunning dresses for a fraction of the cost. You can look just as good, but make the financial damage hurt a little less. In addition, here are some other tips that will help things go more smoothly when taking your kids to a wedding:

Talk Them Through What Will Happen Beforehand

Although children may not be able to understand everything that’s going on and what it all means, talking them through the events of the wedding day and explaining it to them as best you can a few times before the wedding can help them be better prepared. While it won’t guarantee that they’ll sit perfectly still or won’t ask, “When is it going to end?”, they’ll have a better understanding of how things are supposed to go and what they can expect as well as what is expected of them.

Become Familiar with the Venue Before the Big Day

Whether the wedding will be hosted outside or indoors, if possible, visit the wedding venue or do some research online and become familiar with it. This will give you an idea of places you can take your kid to calm them down if they get upset, or where you can let them go and play. Some venues have kid-friendly rooms where you can let them run and scream as much as they please. If this particular venue doesn’t, that’s okay—it may have a garden where you can explore and point out cool plants.

Bring a Bag of Entertainment

Wedding ceremonies aren’t terribly long, but for a toddler or young child, they can seem like forever. If you’re in the wedding party or don’t want to have to get up to take your kid out and miss out on the celebration, bring a bag of entertainment items and ways to keep them occupied that they can enjoy quietly. For example, coloring books and crayons are a great way to keep them entertained, as is an “I Spy” bag or a picture book that they can look through. It’s also probably a good idea to bring some snacks since kids are prone to becoming “hangry” (angry because they’re hungry) and may not be able to make it between events.

Control Timing as Best You Can

Although you’ll be on the bride and groom’s schedule on the wedding day, you will still have control over certain aspects of the day. For example, if the wedding is in the evening and your child still takes naps, try to get them to nap as close to the wedding as possible. That way, they won’t be tired and cranky and will be able to last a little longer than usual. You may still find, though, that you have to make an early exit once it gets a little too far past bedtime. If that’s the case, don’t feel bad, the bride and groom will understand.

Accept Others’ Help

Not everybody loves kids, but plenty of people do! If you’re having a hard time keeping them entertained or need a break and someone offers to keep an eye on them for a bit, don’t turn them down, accept their help! (Unless they’re setting off internal parent alarms—you should always trust your gut.) Having somebody else watch your kid while you go through the line, grab an extra dessert, or catch up with some friends can be a big stress reliever.

Let Them Have Some Fun

Weddings are meant to be fun. They’re a celebration after all. Even if the event isn’t kid-friendly, kids will still find ways to have fun. As long as they’re not causing damage, hurting or bothering other people, or getting into some trouble, it’s okay to keep your distance and let them run and play. To a certain degree, it’s good to “let kids be kids” and enjoy themselves.

Do you plan to take your kids to a wedding? In what other ways will you prepare?