One of the questions you’ll have to ask yourself when planning your Michigan wedding is if you want kids in attendance. While it’s a personal decision for every couple to make, these factors could affect your final decision!

Close Relationship 

Do you have a close relationship with the children in question? For instance, you may want your own children, nieces and nephews to be present, especially if they have a role such as flower girl or ring bearer. You may also want to invite the maid of honor or close relatives’ children. Picking a select few to attend is okay, just be clear in your invitations so guests know if their child is invited. Some people’s feelings may be hurt if certain children were selected to attend instead of theirs, but just remember that at the end of the day, it is your big day.

Budget

You’ll want to consider how kids impact your wedding budget before inviting them. Although a kid-friendly menu may be available and less expensive, inviting children does add an additional cost to your wedding. At The Iroquois Club, kids 10 and under have the option of chicken tenders and fries or macaroni and cheese as an affordable option for their meal. Factor in additional cost if you plan to hire childcare services to keep an eye on children at the reception. If budgetary constraints don’t allow for kids at the party, you can always have children at the ceremony, but not the reception.

Entertainment

Entertainment may be more of a minor factor but is something that couples should think about. With an independent group of kids (read: slightly older and used to entertaining themselves), you can keep them at one table and provide crafts and games to keep them occupied. For weddings with a large number of children, use a side room where entertainers, such as a clown or magician or even movie, can keep them occupied. Children can be unpredictable, so tread carefully when opening the flood gates to young guests as it may feel less like a wedding and more like a playground.

Location

When choosing to make strict rules about no kids at your wedding, guests with young ones will have to make childcare arrangements. This can be challenging if the event is a destination wedding or a few hours away from their residence. Guests that live across the country, especially those with young children, may expect or at least appreciate the option to bring their children. If children are not welcome at the wedding, prepare for a number of out-of-town guests to decline their invitations due to the circumstances or be ready with childcare suggestions for out-of-towners.

Environment

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a good time at your nuptials, but evaluate if the environment will be appropriate for young ones. Look over your guest list and feel out if you think the tone will be suitable for kids. If it’s going to be a rowdy party, it may be best to have guests leave their children at home. For the children involved in your wedding, it would be thoughtful to invite them to cocktail hour or the beginning of the reception and have them leave before the party gets rowdy.