Weddings with Kids: Tips for a Relaxed Celebration for Everyone!

Yes, adult-only weddings can be really lovely. But when it comes to joy, they just can’t compare to a wedding with children. Whether you’re planning your wedding day with your own kids or just some of your friends and family are bringing school-age guests along: In the following paragraphs, you’ll find practical tips and enchanting ideas for keeping little ones entertained, surprises for teens, and—most importantly for a wonderful wedding with kids—cool hacks for relaxed parents.

Involving Children in the Wedding

Kids want to feel seen and empowered—that’s true in everyday life, but it’s just as true during special events like an aunt’s wedding or even their parents’ wedding. So the solution to keeping your little ones happy—and avoiding constant whining about how “boring!” it is—is pretty obvious: Involve the kids in the wedding. Let them take on an active role in the wedding, such as:

Ring Bearers, Flower Girls, and More

• Ring Bearers: They bring the rings during the wedding ceremony. You can also present this role as “Ring Security,” which makes the job especially exciting. Older children can watch over the rings until the ceremony begins, but it’s best not to leave younger children completely unsupervised—or to have an adult supervise them as well.
• Flower girls and boys: Scatter flower petals in front of the bride and groom. Important: Make sure you have enough petals on hand—otherwise, there’ll be tears in no time.
• Sign Bearers: They announce the bride, the bride and groom, or the start of the wedding ceremony by holding up a sign. Be sure to choose children who aren’t too shy, because as a sign bearer, all eyes will be on him or her.
• Candle bearers: They carry the wedding candle. This is an important task that requires a bit of balance and coordination. A candle bearer should therefore be around elementary school age rather than a toddler.
• Emcees: They inform the guests about the next items on the program. Perfect for children ages ten and up. Maybe even younger children will feel confident enough to do it—the guests will be thrilled!
• Photojournalists: They’ll take wonderful photos for you if you give them compact cameras—though, depending on their age, they’ll probably mostly take pictures of shoes. So: Be sure to hand a camera to a teenager, too.
• Bridal Train Holder: An honorary role that lets the child stay close to one of the day’s main characters. It’s a wonderful task, especially for affectionate kids who love to be near Mom. Plus: The photos of the bride and the bridal train holder are guaranteed to be sooo cute!
• Car-Shining Dealers: Hand out the car-shining kits to the guests. It's an easy task that really any child can handle.
• Wedding Newspaper Delivery People: Deliver your wedding newspaper to the guests—don’t forget the nice bags or practical boxes, as well as a flat cap!
  

Choosing a Wedding Venue: Is It Kid-Friendly?

When it comes to keeping the kids happy at the wedding, the choice of venue plays a significant role. After all, if there’s a play area or even a bounce house available, you’re already halfway there. When selecting a venue, however, you can also consider other factors that will benefit your young guests.

Weddings with Children – Checking Out the Venue:

• Is there a playground right next to the wedding venue?
• Is there a fenced-in garden?
• Is there a room or space indoors for a play area where the kids can let off some steam?
• Might there even be animals on site (for example, at a farm wedding)?
• Are the road conditions leading to the location such that they do not pose a danger to the children?
• Are there any bodies of water in the area that you should keep in mind? A small stream, for example, can be a fun place to play if you have a change of clothes on hand. A large pond, on the other hand, can quickly make adults nervous when children are running around the open water.

Tips for Keeping Children Entertained at a Wedding

If there are a lot of babies and toddlers (children between the ages of one and four) running around at your wedding, it’s a good idea to set up a special play area. You can lay out large rugs or blankets and provide the following play materials:

• Building blocks
• Art Supplies
• Playmobil
• Dolls
• Craft Supplies
• Gymnastics mats
• Teepee Tents
• Stuffed Animals
• Excavators & Co.
• Foam rubber cubes
• Ball pit
• Carnival Props for Role-Playing Games
• Puzzle Books

This ensures there are plenty of activities for all the children. It’s important that all the toys can be stored in boxes or have a designated spot from the start. That way, the caregiver on site can quickly put everything back in its original place (even with the help of the little ones). If the kids’ corner isn’t set up outdoors, check with the venue to see if there’s a quiet corner or room on site (which shouldn’t be too far from the restaurant or banquet hall) that can be converted into a play area.

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Book Childcare for a Wedding

Booking a babysitting service or childcare for your wedding can be a real game-changer. The childcare providers listed on Austria Wedding all know exactly what it takes to entertain and care for children at a wedding. They are experts in providing educational activities, meeting a variety of needs, and entertaining different age groups.

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Entertainment for Older Children & Teens at the Wedding

If the kids at your wedding are a little older, it’s almost even easier to keep them entertained. All you need is some comfortable furniture, like a couch, armchairs, or hammocks. The kids have their smartphones with them and are sure to keep themselves entertained without any trouble. However, it wouldn’t hurt to have a few charging cables for their phones.

If you want to offer your preteens something truly special, set up a retro console station. Maybe your parents still have your old Super Nintendo lying around somewhere—and, ideally, a small CRT TV as well. Those old consoles have a certain charm that can keep even the PlayStation 5 generation entertained for an entire evening. But watch out! There’s a risk that some of your adult guests might suddenly start fighting over the controllers.

The Wedding and Baby Shower Combined with a Christening  

A “Traufe” is a combination of a baptism and a wedding, and it’s very popular among parents with a young baby. Combining these two special life events—a baptism and a wedding—into one ceremony is not only emotionally beautiful but—let’s be honest—also practical. All the guests invited to the wedding would (more or less) also be invited to the baptism.

When planning a "Traufe," it’s crucial to harmoniously integrate both the sacred aspects of the baptism and the festive elements of the wedding. When combining the baptism ceremony and the wedding celebration, you should also make sure to adjust the schedule so that your baby’s needs can be met at all times.

Have a family logo designed for Traufe

Once you’ve decided on the wedding theme, you can incorporate it into every aspect of your planning: For example, creating a family logo is a wonderful idea. A symbol of your little family and your marriage! You can have the logo printed on party favors, tags, stationery, and your wedding thank-you cards. The stationery designers listed on Austria Wedding would be delighted to take on such an original and personalized project!

Stylish wedding dresses for children that have been tested through play

A little dress or stylish chinos for girls to wear to their parents’ wedding, and a hat paired with a matching suit for the boys—wedding outfits for kids can be incredibly cute. Ideally, though, they should also be practical and pass the playtest.

So that parents don’t have to keep reminding the kids at the wedding, “Don’t run into the field in your white shoes!” we recommend including a small note on your invitation cards suggesting they bring a change of clothes—or telling the parents in person that there will be plenty of play options on-site and the kids can change at any time. Many of the wedding fashion boutiques listed on Austria Wedding also offer clothing for children. The fashion consultants can provide you and your wedding guests with detailed advice and show you which wedding outfits offer your kids the most freedom of movement.

Change of Clothes for Children at the Wedding

Thoughtful couples planning a well-thought-out wedding often make sure to provide umbrellas, deodorant, tissues, and other essentials. So why not also provide a change of clothes for the children in attendance? Of course, you don’t have to buy new items just for this, but if you’re parents yourselves, you probably still have plenty of mud-stained pants, Crocs, or outdoor jackets lying around—or you can ask people you know for items suitable for different age groups. Then, put them in a nice box and set it out near the kids’ play area or outdoors in a shady spot.

Keeping the little wedding guests happy with food and sweets

Yes, of course, children shouldn’t have unlimited access to candy and huge amounts of sugar, but on the day of their godparents’ or parents’ wedding, it’s okay to let them go a little overboard. Of course, the parents should always be on hand to keep an eye on how much the little ones are eating from the (sweet) spread; so as the bride and groom, you can feel free to leave that responsibility to the parents. But as a couple, you can delight your young guests especially with these culinary highlights:

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• Donut Wall: Donuts in all kinds of glazes and colors hang on a wall for self-service. The kids are going to go wild!
• Ice Cream Truck: A food truck that serves ice cream with sprinkles, other fancy toppings, and sweet sauces. Simply heavenly!
• Candy Bar: A classic favorite for wedding guests of all ages. You can either get creative on your own or hire a professional pastry chef: cake pops, lollipops, macarons, and more not only make the table a visual highlight, but they also taste absolutely delicious as a dessert or a little something to snack on.

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Our Austria Wedding Tip: Pay attention to the right timing! When is the best time to serve sweets? It doesn’t make much sense to lure all the kids to the donut wall before the main course. Time the arrival of the sweets so that they appear after the meal; this will make the parents happy because the kids are more likely to stay at the table and try some of the vegetables first.

Here's How to Include Your Children in Your Wedding Day

Of course, when it comes to a wedding, people often think of the wedding guests. But you, as the bride and groom and your family, should also pay attention to your own needs. And if you have children of your own, that clearly includes the needs of the little ones. Children crave independence and want to be part of all the excitement on your wedding day. But how can you incorporate your own children into the wedding without constantly worrying that your toddler might throw a tantrum or that your teenager can barely keep from yawning? We’ll show you some great examples of how to successfully involve kids in your wedding:

Welcoming Guests as a Family

As a family, you can hold hands and stand together in front of your guests in the banquet hall or restaurant—this way, you can all welcome everyone present together and share a few opening remarks. Every family member has the chance to say a few words here. Even if it’s just the babbling of your one-year-old son, it’s the gesture that counts!

The Cake Moment – Getting the Kids Involved

The tradition of cutting the wedding cake doesn’t have to be reserved exclusively for you as the bride and groom. Include your children by letting them help guide the knife or, if there are several children, allowing them to make their own cut on the opposite side. Sharing the first slices of cake together—for example, with the grandparents—is also a lovely, inclusive family tradition.

Our first dance as a married couple

Start the wedding dance as a couple, and then invite your children to join the dance circle so you can all experience your first dance together as a new family.

The stage is set for the older children

Whether it’s a poem, a piece of music, or a short performance—let your children help plan part of the afternoon or evening program themselves and have their own big moment in the spotlight, if they’d like. Especially when they’re a group of siblings, these little ones are capable of all sorts of things and will surprise you and your guests with a beautifully staged performance.

Celebrate a Relaxing Wedding with Family and Kids

We’ve now given you plenty of tips and hacks for planning a wedding with kids. With these, you’re all set for a diverse wedding party with children ranging in age from 0 to 18. All that’s left for us to say is: Look forward to a wonderful wedding celebration with kids! Because kids don’t just enrich life—with the right planning and by truly including them in the festivities—they’ll definitely enrich your wedding, too!