So you’re looking at your invite list and notice tons of little kids will be attending your wedding. What can you do to help them out? Actually, what can you do to help their parents out?
You see, parents with young kids REALLY want to have a fun at your Indian wedding, but they have a little problem. A little kid or two (or three).
I know you’re thinking about 100 (no, 1000) things while you’ve been planning your Indian wedding. Planning for kids to be there isn’t your top priority, but hear me out.
Parents with babies and young kids need all the help they can get to make it out ok at the end of your wedding weekend.
Here are 5 foolproof ways to help parents enjoy your Indian wedding with young kids.
Note: These aren’t all extra things you need to do, but just things to consider while planning your Indian wedding with kids.
1) Have a place for parents and young kids to hang out that isn’t the main event space.
Parents that have young kids prefer a separate area to hang out so they aren’t disturbing the main event. Somewhere they can push a stroller around and just be. It might even be a place you could put water, snacks, etc for all the guests.
2) Suggest a suites hotel option nearby to guests.
Consider including suite-style rooms for guests to choose from at the hotel where guests will be staying. This could help parents with babies sleep in a separate but attached room to their little one. It’s easy to think that nobody besides the wedding party would want a larger room, but think again!
3) Suggest a babysitter or babysitting service for parents.
Trust me when I say ALL your wedding guests want to have fun, especially parents of young kids! But what should they do when it’s evening time and their baby is sleeping… get a babysitter! Even better is if you know anyone (coworker, friend’s mom, friend of a friend etc) who will not be coming to the wedding and wouldn’t mind babysitting aka sitting in your hotel room while the baby is sleeping and watching Netflix. 🙂
4) Include Kid-friendly food options on your menus.
I get that your parents want a full Gujarati meal served for your wedding lunch (mine did too) but why not have an option for kids? Sometimes it’s not feasible but other times a kid-friendly option like pasta can be incorporated into the menu for all guests.
5) Hand out goodie bags at the reception.
I recently went to a wedding where they were giving out small activity/goodie bags to kids at the reception. What an awesome idea! Not only is the young one occupied without an iPhone at the table, but it’s a cute way to show that you remembered to think about the kids. I’m talking dollar store items here. No need for anything expensive. The best part is that this is the perfect task to delegate to a friend.
Bonus Tip: I call it a bonus tip but it’s more like – do this at your reception, and not just for kids and babies, but for EVERYONE. Tell your DJ not to play the music super loud.
I know, I re-read that sentence and it sounds dumb. But seriously, I’ve been to a wedding where the music was so utterly loud that guests literally took their dinner plates to eat in the cocktail area outside the venue because it was that loud. Ugh. Just don’t do it!
For more tips on how to plan a wedding with kids, check out my article “Why You Can’t Have a No-Kids wedding and How to Plan for it.”
Happy Planning,
Satya
Photo credit: dhumkum. com