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Original poster

Did anyone have a kids only table at wedding dinner? Or just a free for all arrangement?

23 replies

awellawellawellaooff · 04/10/2019 13:35

The table planning is starting to get on my nerves. It's turning into a bit of a head fuck, here's hoping this thread will help me work out what to do.

Has anyone had a kids table - we have 7 kids (between ages of 5-11) and if we put them together, all the other seating would be pretty much spot on (size wise and family / friends wise). But not sure about the logistics or whether that is an absolutely shocking idea to have children eating unattended.

Another idea that I am hugely leaning towards so I don't have to think about seating anymore is to just tell people to sit wherever they bloody want. I mean we're all adults, aren't we apart from the kids, obviously?

Has anyone got any thoughts before I drive myself insane?

TIA

OP posts:

Camomila · 04/10/2019 13:57

Seems a bit young. I remember my aunties wedding had lots of kids/teens and she made a girls table and a boys table for the older ones. I happily went to the girls table at 12 but she asked DBro age 9 and he wanted to stay with our mum and dad.

Aquamarine1029 · 04/10/2019 14:01

I think younger children need to be with their parents to be properly supervised. I've witnessed a couple of kids tables that turned into a circus.

cheninblanc · 04/10/2019 14:03

I had a kids table ages 14-2. Worked great, the older ones loved helping the little ones and we got an uninterrupted meal. There were 8 children

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Weddings

BlackInk · 04/10/2019 14:06

I've been to a wedding with a kids table and it was great! The parents got a break/bit of space and the kids loved it! My DS was only about 3 or 4 at the time and more than happy to sit with the big kids!
At 5 to 11 they're not babies, and should be more than capable of sitting independently and having fun without running riot!

Teddybear45 · 04/10/2019 14:06

will they get a special kids menu and kids activities on the table and would it be restricted to family kids only? If yes then it sounds like a great idea. Fun for them too and provided it’s close to the family / head table there would be adequate supervision too.

AppleKatie · 04/10/2019 14:07

Only if you speak to the older children in advance and they are ok with babysitting.

Also only if the younger ones know the older ones well enough not to cry at being away from parents.

Oh and as long as you don’t want quiet for the speeches 😂

LifeInAHamsterWheel · 04/10/2019 14:07

We were at a wedding recently and all the kids were at the one table. Worked out fine, but only because all the kids were really well behaved and didn't need their parents with them. If you know all the kids involved then you should have a fair idea if they'd be ok in that situation.

ohmysoul · 04/10/2019 14:08

We had kids sat with parents but tried to make sure there was more than one kid per table. They got up and walked round and played on the floor mostly any way.

myrtleWilson · 04/10/2019 14:09

We had a children's table... We were in a hotel restaurant and there was a banquette so we had the 'top' table (except not in any traditional sense) and then right next to the top table we had the children's table. Most (but not all) of the children on their table had parents on the 'top' table. Children were 3-6

Before the meal we thanked the children for coming to help us celebrate and gave them each a different present so there was lots to keep them entertained.

We had a very small wedding though so it may have helped!

myrtleWilson · 04/10/2019 14:11

Meant to add - like you it meant sorting the rest of the table places worked really well and other tables were in normal restaurant setting (not banquette-d)

Ivechanged19 · 04/10/2019 14:12

I’ve seen it work and not work are the younger children siblings of the older ones? I also seen it done that the children were taken I to the hotel foyer to have children’s entertainment through the speeches and starter and brought back in then when their parents were being served the main course so that it wasn’t too long for them to sit?

floravus · 04/10/2019 14:16

We didn't do a seating plan, ended up with some lovely friends sat next to me who I probably wouldn't have had chance to speak to for long otherwise. Everyone was sat with who they were comfortable with, and those who wanted to be more sociable swapped about throughout the meal to get to know more people. Worked perfectly. I hate seating plans! (Have a MIL who insists everyone should be always sat next to someone they don't know - nice idea in principle but some people are just more comfortable sitting with their partner/friends)

BeanBag7 · 04/10/2019 14:24

I would rather have kids sat with their parents, especially the younger ones. Also I would feel bad for the people sat near the kids table!

notasgreenasiamcabbagelooking · 04/10/2019 14:31

We didn't have a seating plan either (mostly because I couldn't be bothered to try and deal with one) and the guests were delighted. Ours was a buffet though, and some people didn't sit down much at all and spent the whole time mingling.

ShinyGiratina · 04/10/2019 14:32

We had a kids table, children were about 5-12. Younger ones with parents. They had different activity packs each. They were pretty sensible kids with no worries. Many of them were cousins.

It also solved the problem of allocating the awkward table tacked on to the edge of the room which would probably have made someone feel third class tucked away at the back on a slight annexe to the rest of the room. It was fully open to view, but like an extra bit at the back.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 04/10/2019 14:37

I did. Was right in front of top table, so they all behaved!

Jellyshoeshurtmyfeet · 04/10/2019 14:37

We had a kids table, they each got an activity box and we hired someone to do balloon animals to entertain them during the meal. They also got a bag of pick and mix sweets each to try to keep them at the table for speeches. We had a few under 2s who obviously stayed with their parents.

gleegeek · 04/10/2019 14:53

We went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago. Our dd(16) was outraged to find herself on a kids table and a bit worried about feeling responsible for the younger dc who she didn't know. The teens just got their phones out, didn't talk to each other and abandoned the table as soon as possible! I think families should be kept together where possible.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 04/10/2019 15:11

I've had fun on the children's table as a child (and a lot more fun actually on teen tables as a teen) and also worked plenty of weddings as childcare on children's tables. With small kids parents came over between courses to say hello anyway.

I think it can work really well. I would talk to the 11 year olds first and see how they feel about being "in charge".

PrincessHoneysuckle · 04/10/2019 15:18

No kids at mine apart from ds and his 4 cousins.They sat with their parents,ds sat with us at top table

Original poster

awellawellawellaooff · 07/10/2019 11:20

Thank you everyone, some interesting points and examples.

I'm still undecided really. I've already bought kids activities packs for during the dinner. and there is a room connected to the place we're eating which we will make into the kids room with games and things.

I think I'll ask the older kids what they thing and go from there. But yeah it'd make the table planning a lot easier if they had their own table

OP posts:

mindutopia · 07/10/2019 11:28

I would be a bit annoyed to turn up to a wedding and be told I couldn't sit with my dc. If they were teenagers, I think that would be one thing. But 5-11 is a huge age range and I would expect all but the very oldest of them will still need some adult supervision (unless you want them running amok and making noise during speeches, etc.). Also, realistically, if I bring my children to a wedding, it's because I want to spend time with them. I don't want my 5 year old on the other side of the room without me. But a special activity pack or something for children at their seats (at the table with parents) is a nice touch and I've been to a wedding that had a kids area for the evening with party food, games, etc. which was really nice. It meant we could have a chat and a drink while still keeping an eye on ours while she played. In the evening, I think that's fine. But I wouldn't want mine randomly roaming a wedding during a meal without me knowing where they are, unless for instance, you plan to sit an adult or two at the table (an auntie or older adult cousin who loves kids and would be happy to do it). Better yet, ask the parents. They'll know if their kids could manage to sit through a formal meal without them at another table. The only wedding I've been to where this seemed to work was a rich cousin's wedding where all the nannies herded their charges into a separate room for dinner and the evening. I suspect your guests won't be coming with nannies in tow though.

ReginaGeorgeous · 07/10/2019 11:43

We seated kids with their parents at our wedding.

I have a nearly five year old and whilst I wouldn't have a problem with her being seated at a kids table as she's perfectly capable of eating by herself, I also know that she would be getting up to come over to talk to me every few minutes especially if your activity pack includes crayons and I can be presented with a constant stream of scribble. It's not ideal for waiting staff to have little kids wandering about when they're trying to serve food.

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