Who do you invite?

 

Tidbit Tuesday is here once again! This week we cover who to invite, who gets a plus one & what about children? These are all great questions and everyone has different opinions on these questions and that is totally okay if you don't agree with my answers.

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For starters, who do you invite? That is fully up to you and your partner. You have to decide on how many guests you want to be a part of your big day! Once you know your ideal guest count, you have to decide who you want to celebrate with you. Family, friends, coworkers, etc. 

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A key thing I always tell my clients is this: It is your wedding. Invite who you want. Not who anyone else wants you to invite. If you want to keep your event small, then do it. You want to invite everyone you have ever met? Have at it! 

Now what about plus one? Who gets one and who doesn't? Again, that is 100% up to you and your partner. For my husband and I, guests had to be with their partner for over a year plus, engaged or married. 

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What about children? This one might get me some hate but I personally don't believe children belong at a wedding. We have several littles in our family who I love so much and it could have been fun to have them at our wedding, but I also know that had we had them at the wedding, our siblings, cousins and guests wouldn't had as much fun. Our reception was also at a distillery, so it seemed inappropriate, especially since we were paying for an open bar, and we encouraged our guests to drink. We did make an exception to a small handful of young adults, who were old enough to behave and who played a part of our story.

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As a wedding planner, I still agree that children don't belong at a wedding. Yes, they are cute, especially the little littles, but they get tired or crabby due to a missed nap. They are running around the dance floor during your first dance because mom and dad aren't watching them. They are touching things they shouldn't. 

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I worked a wedding in Chicago a few years ago and I ended up being the "annoying babysitter" to the bride's nephews. The parents were not paying attention. The kids were playing in the hot wax from the burning candles. Sending the wax moving in every direction. Breaking the containers the candles were in. Ripping up all the disco balls that the bride had everywhere. They were in the parking lot throwing rocks in the air and hitting cars and climbing in a dumpster. 

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This is one event of many with children who should have stayed home. Again, not everyone will agree, not that I want you to. If you and your partner want children at your wedding, I highly recommend that you hire a babysitter or assign an aunt or family friend to watch the littles so their parents, or their grandparents (your siblings or parents) can still enjoy your special day. If you are anything like us, this is such a special moment, not just for the two of you but for your family and friends too.