Child-Friendly Wedding Planning: Involving Children In Your Ceremony

Increasingly, women already have children by the time they get married — 44% of women have had a baby by the age of 25, while only 38% have married by that age, the Washington Post reports. If you’re a parent with your wedding coming up, there are already so many tasks to plan for like food, flowers, seating arrangements, music, etc. To learn more about live entertainment check out UK Live Entertainment. Including your children in your ceremony makes it both extra special and a whole lot of fun. Age-appropriate roles can keep children happy and entertained throughout the ceremony, as well as creating a meaningful family experience for you all.

Confetti distribution

Everyone looks forward to the post-ceremony confetti toss — especially children! So, once the ceremony closes and you’re leaving the venue, have someone give the children baskets of confetti to scatter. Alternatively, give kids the job of distributing bags of confetti among the rest of the guests. Before the ceremony, let them know they have this job to do — but only if they’re on their best behavior throughout the ceremony. Keep in mind that some venues won’t let you use confetti. In this case, bubbles or ribbon streamers are excellent child-friendly alternatives. Children love running around with ribbon streamers on warm, windy days. Children under five should be supervised if you opt for bubbles.

Ring bearers

Ring bearers have the important task of carrying the wedding rings down the aisle. Although it’s traditional for younger men in the family to take on this role, it’s also an excellent way to include children in your ceremony. Ring bearers are responsible for keeping the rings safe and secure for the bride and groom, and usually walk down the aisle before the flower girls. Traditionally, ring bearers carry the rings on a special small pillow. It’s important to make sure the rings are secure and tied down firmly in place beforehand so as not to risk losing them during the journey. If you want to have more than one ring bearer, there’s no reason not to. One can be responsible for the groom’s ring, and the other for the bride’s, for example. If you have particularly young children, they can be carried down the aisle by a bridesmaid or a groomsman while holding the rings.

Family sand ceremony

A lovely and unique idea, sand ceremonies are a meaningful way to include children in your wedding ceremony. Each family member is first given their own different colored bottle of sand — representative of their unique personality and role in the family. During the sand ceremony, each of you will pour your sand into a beautiful vase (or other special container). This symbolic pouring represents the joining of the family and the commitment everyone has to one another as a strong family unit. At the end of the sand ceremony, you’ll be left with a stunning keepsake of your wedding day.

Actively involving your children in your wedding ceremony doesn’t have to be difficult. Confetti distribution, ring bearing, and sand ceremonies are some child-friendly activities both you and your kids will love.

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