Entertaining Your Littlest Guests - The Kids

We all know that weddings are about the bride and groom. About celebrating their love for and vows to each other. While these are true and essential reasons for a wedding, it's important to remember, as brides and grooms, not to forget about your guests. This applies specifically to your littlest guests. Many brides and grooms, myself included, struggle with what to do with kids at the wedding, especially when there are a high number invited. Now, we all know there are many options - invite the kids, don't invite the kids, etc. For the sake of this blog series, we're assuming kids are, indeed, invited.

So... now comes the real question: what the heck are you gonna do with them?

Taking some of the advice I found when researching this question for my own wedding, you can easily (and affordably) entertain all of your littlest guests at your wedding. From food options to coloring books, keep checking back in the coming weeks, and we will detail some of our favorite options for you. :)

Mark and I with the 10 kids in our bridal party (and 2 newborns in our arms).
Don't they look happy!? :)
Photo Credit: Mike Landis Photographer

For today's post, we'll be focusing on one of the biggest and most important options: the food! USE IT! A hungry child is not a happy child, especially at a wedding. Most kids don't want to eat salmon or a filet, and you certainly don't want to shell out $50+ per meal for a two year old. Most caterers (including many of BMH's preferred caterers) will happily provide a children's buffet in cases where lots of kids are invited. The kid's buffet is for receptions where many kids will be present, but you don't want to provide them with the full sit-down meals your adults are having. Many caterers will have a buffet line for kids that includes items such as mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, mini pizzas, etc. We've seen this done several times, and it's always a hit for kids. Also, it saves you money as in many cases children wouldn't have eaten a full meal. 

A second food idea is to add an ice-cream bar! This is always a hit with kids and adds a fun and different element to your dessert options. Instead of (or in my case, in addition to) a wedding cake, guests have a second option in the ice cream bar. 

The above photos showcase an ice cream bar by Williamson Caterers. They did a great job setting it up - it was colorful and fruity, and everyone, not just kids, loved it!

Remember, they may be little, but they can really make a difference in how your day goes for both you and your guests. Think through your options for kids, but remember, food is always a winner. :)

Make sure to check out Parts 2 and 3 to how to entertain kids at your wedding!