I love little children at weddings. Wedding ceremonies are family occasions and children are part of the celebrations too. If your little ones are not yet at school, don’t expect too much of them. Once they are at school they are used to sitting quietly for awhile.
Two children at a wedding

If they are walking in with the bride, a rehearsal can be useful, but don’t practise them over and over. It is always different on the day, as there are loads of people and it can suddenly be quite daunting. That’s when holding the hand of a bridesmaid works well. If they are only two or three, a rehearsal is a bit pointless and mum and dad coaxing them in at different points usually works well.

Here are some hints to help keep them happy.

  1. Make sure they have recently had a snack and a wee.
  2. Take some small toys for them to play with if they are very little.
  3. A special treat can be ideal, just remember some wipes to clean up sticky fingers.
  4. If it is outside, bubbles always work. There is never a wrong time to blow them. Just make sure you have some spares in case it spills over.
  5. A good celebrant will never mind a happy little child pottering around at their feet.
  6. And if there are tears we just wait until they have had a cuddle and are happy again.