I will never forget that moment….standing at the back of the church with my arm tucked in my dad’s arm just about to walk down the aisle. It was at that moment that the one family that I had hoped would not come arrived at my wedding ceremony. As the family with all of their young children quickly move past me and found their seats in the sanctuary I had visions of little children running up and down the aisle yelling as I said “I do” to my sweetheart….My heart sunk.
To their credit all the children sat good as gold during the entire ceremony I was so thankful and relieved as our ceremony went on without a glitch.
Over the many years that I’ve been a professional wedding photographer I have learned invaluable lessons about dealing with small children at weddings. Knowledge that I wish I had known when I was that young bride standing nervously pulling my dads arm. Today were going to visit four major points that you need to consider about having children at your wedding day.
Does it fit with vision for your day?
A few years back we shot B+K’s wedding. B was a kindergarten teacher and being around children is part of who she is. Being true to herself, she invited lots of sweet kiddos to enjoy being part of their wedding. Their ceremony was beautiful, but very flexible as people stood with their children or sat. Kids were comfortable and very quiet and respectful. There was a friendliness and warmth about their ceremony that set the tone for a great day. That is who she is and it fit her vision very well.
For some brides that would not represent who they are and their vision for the day. Know yourself and what your vision is for your special day. If having a kid-friendly wedding day fits who you are than embrace it. If it doesn’t add to your vision, don’t be afraid to stick to an “adults only” affair.
Kids in the bridal party
Flexibility is king. On the morning of the wedding it’s a great idea to give the mother of the children a general ballpark for when to arrive (for example if the limo leaves for the church by 12 ask mom to arrive at the brides house sometime between 10:30 and 11:30). Be smart about your timeline but also know she’s dealing with an uphill battle so having flexibility is a relief.
Little ones can be just as nervous as us adults when walking into the ceremony. Having a reward at the other end of that long aisle can make things a little easier for them. If they fully know what to expect they will do better going down the aisle receiving their reward once they are sitting in their spot. One small thing that I’ve noticed over the years is that shoes often “don’t fit” just before going down the aisle… it’s just nerves so be flexible (besides, cute little toes are adorable anyway) Don’t stress out too much about what they do going down the aisle they have cuteness factor in their back pocket so whether they run, skip, walk, pick up flowers or throw down flowers it’s all going to be adorable.
Let’s talk picture time.
Almost every wedding has formal pictures scheduled exactly when little ones usually take naps. With that in mind, it’s a great idea to get any images that include little ones in them done first. If children are old enough to understand numbers I often will tell them “Johnny were going to do three pictures. Can you hold still for three pictures?” Knowing that there’s an end in sight is a huge help to them.
We will often shoot a full bridal party picture with kids right at the church or ceremony location. Once we’ve gotten the bride and groom with the little flower girl and ring-bearer as well as that one large bridal party picture those little kiddos are free to go home with their moms and dads for their naps. Moving onto the formal picture location without needing to worry about small children can relieve stress for all and keep things flowing for the day.
At the reception
Most venues are amazing at accommodating children. Their food will come out first and usually consist of chicken fingers and french fries…yum! Make sure your venue is equipped for handling kids if you’re incorporating them in your guest list. Having coloring crayons or activity boxes at each of their spots is also a great help in keeping children quiet during speeches and greatly appreciated by your guests.
For the bridal party entrance into the reception, it’s a great idea to pair a little person up with an adult in the bridal party. Some kids eat-up the attention they get when walking into a big, cheering crowd others are horribly intimidated by it. Having someone hold her hand is a massive help.
Choosing to have children at your wedding can be an amazing experience especially once the dance floor opens. There’s something about a little kid dancing without a care in the world that attracts all the adults in the room to smile, get up off their seats and hit that dance floor.
So will your wedding be kid-friendly? Know your vision for your wedding day and whether incorporates children or is it adults only party. Be equipped, flexible and prepared ahead of the game and you are guaranteed to have a successful day.
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We are a husband and wife team gifted with photography and capturing LOVE. We believe that everyone has a gorgeously created uniqueness that is waiting to be captured in a way that is genuine, elegant, and filled with fun. We’ve been doing this for over 10 years and there is always such a huge excitement that comes from seeing the joy in our client’s eyes as they see their photographs for the first time. We are professional photographers who give a creative, elegant, and fun style of photography for people who are simply in love. We are thrilled to work with people during the most important times in their lives and giving it that WOW factor is our joy. These are joyful times so have a look at our Wedding Photography and get in touch with us quickly to find out more.
Contact us to today for professionally respected and award winning photography. – We’re Mike & Jenny. Talk to you soon!Professional Wedding Photographers and Portrait Photographers who work throughout the Toronto, Oakville, Burlington, to Niagara area.
