It may be that you are trying to keep costs down, stuck on how to keep them entertained, or your venue doesn’t allow guests under a certain age… whatever your reasons, deciding to not have children at your wedding isn’t an uncommon occurrence, and is a completely personal decision. Need some help? How to word no kids at your wedding – without causing offence!
This can be an emotive issue, with the bride and groom wondering how they can politely convey their wishes to their guests without causing any kind of offence – I know I struggled…!
In the past, one way was to address the invitation to the parents only – in the hope it will be interpreted in the way it is intended; that the children are not invited to be guests. However this can lead to even stickier situations and cause a lot of unnecessary stress through the ambiguity!
Luckily for you lovely lot, I’ve taken the headache away for you – No Kids at Your Wedding No problem. To help you avoid any kind of confusion or hurt feelings, here I give you a personal selection of wording examples I have researched for clients in the past, if you are considering having an adults only wedding day (as I did)…
How to Word No Kids at Your Wedding
1 – Short and Sweet
Because sometimes keeping it polite but concise can be the best option:
Family friendly ceremony – Adults only reception
or maybe
Wedding ceremony followed by adult only reception
2 – Venue/Number Restrictions
Due to number restrictions imposed by our venue, we’ve made the difficult decision not to invite children to our wedding, apart from close family. We hope that this advanced notice means you can still come and help us celebrate.
3 – Make It Fun!
Once the vows are done it’ll be time for fun, so please dress accordingly! (And arrange a babysitter!)
4 – Rhyme It
Once the vows are done it’ll be time for fun!
So the adults can play, our wedding will be a child free day!
or
Children at the ceremony, we’d love them on the scene.
Reception time, however, is an adult’s only theme.
or
While we love to watch the children run and play, this is an adults only kind of day.
5 – Considerate
In order to allow all of our guests, including parents, an evening of fun and relaxation, we have chosen for our wedding reception to be an adult only occasion.
We hope this advanced notice means you are still able to celebrate with us, and will enjoy having the evening off! We would love you to join the fun!
6 – A Polite Request
To give all our guests the opportunity to let their hair down and have a good time without having to worry about little eyes and ears, we politely request no children.
I hope that helps, or at least gives you some food for thought!
