Updated 4th October 2022
Without a doubt, this can be one of the trickiest decisions to make about who to invite and everyone seems to have their opinion (and some of them are very strong!)
We’ve been to a lot of weddings, both as photographers and guests and, honestly, there’s a pretty even split of opinion.
Personally, we love having kids at weddings! They bring such energy and excitement. I know, not necessarily what you want during a quiet moment in the ceremony or halfway through your speech but it can be absolutely hilarious. At a wedding this summer, the bride’s daughter interrupted her speech to say she needed a poop – the timing was impeccable!
Of course, they also provide wonderful opportunities for fun and unique photographs. That said, whilst kids can be awesome at weddings definitely add some extra challenges!
Comical wedding photos!
Kids at weddings can make some amazing, and often hysterical wedding photographs! As a documentary wedding photographer, kids provide great opportunities to take natural, fun photos. Children at weddings can be hilarious, there’s no denying it and we love being on hand to catch those moments!
If images like this aren’t reason enough to have kids at your wedding then I don’t know what is!?
Parents might not come without children
It’s tough to tell parents they can’t bring their kids and might make it trickier for one, or both, of them to come at all.
They may struggle to find a babysitter or be unwilling to leave their children for a day or even a weekend depending on how far they have to travel. Either way, it could certainly become more tricky for them to attend if they have to sort out the children first!
Quality time with parents
Life has a way of getting in the way of things doesn’t it? If your friends or family have kids, chances are life seems to be flying past at 100 miles an hour. By inviting children to your wedding, you’re providing parents with a great opportunity to spend some quality time with their own kids.
There will be times throughout the day, in between the main events where the guests have a bit of ‘down time’, where people are gathered around having drinks, enjoying canapes and catching up.
This can be a fun time to play with the kids, whether it’s messing around on the bouncy castle, playing lawn games or just getting them to bump up and down on your leg, like in this photo, both parents and children can have a great time!
They throw great shapes on the dance floor
At the end of the day, with the last of their energy, kids can throw some serious moves on the dance floor. They’ll provide some fun, and often funny moments to bring in some laughs later in the evening.
