Wedding Event Planning and Babysitting Services
Nanny Services for Children Can Insure a Joyful Wedding Reception
Oct 19, 2009
Every wedding couple hopes their wedding day will go off without a hitch. But children, in all their exuberant, youthful glory, can provide plenty of unexpected hitches. That’s why every bride and groom should adopt the Boy Scout’s motto and “Be Prepared.”
A Babysitting Service Insures Activities for Children
Once a decision has been made to invite children to join their parents at the wedding and reception, decisions about how to keep those little guests happy must also be made.
Wedding expenses can be costly, and hiring a professional wedding babysitting service may seem like an unnecessary added expense. But with children present at the service or reception, it can prove to be a wise wedding day investment.
Some nanny and babysitting services have developed programs specifically for weddings. Babysitters are safely matched to the number of children, and there are usually no more than four children to each babysitter, or three children if two of them are very young. With plenty of experience, nanny services know how to keep children occupied and happy. Their efforts give the bride, groom and adult guests the peaceful freedom to enjoy the day without the potential for disruption that even the best-behaved children can foster.
Most services provide activity bags for every child so that the wedding couple doesn’t have to do so. These may include:
- wedding coloring books
- toys
- puzzles
- games
- crafts
- books
- movies
Bags may be gender-specific or they may be customized to include items specific to a particular wedding.
The Designated Service and Reception Area
Nannies strive to utilize a separate room at the church and reception, but if one is not available, they will set up a special children’s corner at each venue. Busy children are happy children. To expect children, especially small ones, to sit quietly during the wedding or reception is to deny the very energetic, exuberant nature of who they are. Setting up a designated location for children treats them to a fun experience while assuring adult guests a pleasant event of their own.
Dinner seating can be integrated with adults, or children can be served in their own area from a special kid-friendly menu.
Adding extra entertainments, like a balloon-animal artist, is always possible.
Use a Babysitting Service or Do It Yourself?
Wedding couples may forego hiring a service and assume the responsibility for child guests on their own. Depending upon entertainment plans and activities chosen, opting out of a babysitting service could save money. On the other hand, responsibility for the children will be greater, and enlisting the help of volunteer sitters will be necessary.
Even if children remain with their parents during the service and during the reception meal, there is still a need for additional supervision as children seek to entertain themselves. Wedding cakes with tiny fist-sized holes and crystal glasses shattering from bumped tables prove that leaving little ones to their own devices at a wedding is never the best option.
5 Elements of a Child Friendly Wedding Experience
- After making the decision to include children, the invitation should reflect a commitment to them. Wording such as: “Your children are most welcome at our wedding. Please RSVP with the name, age and gender of each child who will be attending so that we may better provide a joyful experience for them.” A space should then be provided on the RSVP to capture that information.
- Designating one authoritative liaison from the wedding couple’s inner circle as the go-to person for the nanny or babysitting service will help to insure a smoothly run event.
- Providing high chairs and booster chairs before parents must ask for them shows caring and consideration. Utilizing the information gleaned from the RSVPs makes it easy to appropriately set up tables in advance.
- Supplying inexpensive wedding day aprons, smocks or over-sized t-shirts will save children’s Sunday-best clothing from harm as they pursue varied activities.
- Providing early details of the wedding venue and reception hall to the babysitting service gives the service ample time to contact the venue and determine the best arrangements for a children’s corner.
Children and Wedding Reception Planning
The decision of whether or not to invite children is a personal one, and no one faults a bride and groom for choosing not to have children attend their wedding. But if children are invited, it behooves every wedding couple to take that extra step and create pleasant entertainments for them. It is absolutely possible to accommodate children’s special needs and still have the elegant, fairytale wedding every bride has dreamed of.
Hiring a professional wedding babysitting or nanny service does cost money. But for children and adults alike, doing so can produce dividends that are worth their weight in wedding day gold.
More Wedding Planning Tips
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