We’ve hosted a lot of weddings at The Lesner Inn, some with a lot of kids, some with just a few. While planning your wedding, you have to decide whether you want the “adult-only” or the “kid-friendly” atmosphere. And while this is your decision, you’ll most likely get an earful from your guests…

On one side, you have people (oftentimes, parents) who believe that kids add a certain magic to the atmosphere. On the other side, you have those who feel as though that “magic” is more of a nuisance at a wedding– completed with screaming, messing, and ruining. But when it comes down to it, whether or not you want children at your wedding is your final decision. We like to remind newly-engaged couples that it’s YOUR wedding, so don’t let relatives with kids thwart your decision making.

So, when deciding whether or not you will allow kids at your wedding can be tricky, ask your venue what they recommend.  Here, we are both an adult-only & a kid-friendly zone.

“ADULT-ONLY ZONE”

If you decide NOT to invite kids, inform your guests early, in order to give them adequate time to hire a babysitter. We  recommend telling them when you send the save the dates, & again in your invitations, because nothing would be worse than your guests having to leave early to relieve a last-minute babysitter.

“We love & respect all of our friends & family with children, that’s why we want you to have a date night on us. We respectfully ask that our celebration be an adult-only affair. We want you to be able to dance with us all night long.”

We also suggest allowing either your direct family or bridal party to bring their kids so that your flower girl and ring bearer can have some pals to hang out with during the lengthy event.

“CHILDREN WELCOME”

If you decide to invite children to your wedding, here are a few tips we have:

• The 2 trickiest parts of the wedding to get through are the ceremony & the speeches. We recommend providing the kids with something that could keep them happy and quiet for the entirety of the ceremony & the speeches (whether it be snacks, a never-ending lollipop, or a silent toy).
• If you rent the Lesner Hall, and you have a lot of younger kids who will get tired early in the evening, we recommend using the bridal suite as a resting place for them. Whether it be just a place to hang quietly, take a nap, or watch a Disney movie, it’s definitely a good space to utilize throughout your wedding.
• If you rent the Waterside Deck, we recommend doing the same thing but in the Lynnhaven Room.
• In the past, we’ve had a lot of brides who like to separate the kids from the rest of the guests during dinner, and make a “kids table.” This is good way to let the kids entertain themselves. It’s also a good opportunity to provide them with distracting games like a coloring book or cards.
• Make sure everything at the wedding is kid-friendly – especially the centerpieces (if you have candles) or the props for the photo booth.