When did weddings stop being family occasions?

[Quackpot]

Just that really. Child free weddings are boring

I think late 90s/early 2000s. When the evening party became more important than the actual ceremony :)

When selfish, irresponsible parents allowed their ‘little darlings’ to shout snd scream during the ceremony, refuse to take them out , get shit faced and allow them to watch pepos pig without headphones. I’ve never been bored at a wedding and prefer no kids.

You must be boring if you can't have fun without kids to entertain you

My wedding was child free and boring it was not. Got married 3 years ago and our friends still talk about it now and how much fun they had.

"Child free weddings are boring" completely disagree.

Ok, I’ll throw another theory in…..
Up until 1980s it wasn’t uncommon for the bride and groom not to be living togther. Pre 1960s it’s almost scandalous to be living togther. So the wedding day was also very much about the wedding night for the couple. The first time they could openly share a bed with each other. So there was the church or registry office ( only options), a wedding breakfast / meal hen the bride would go change into her “going away” and literally away they would go for their honeymoon night, that was a very big deal for most couples
Do brides and grooms still “go away” after an all nighter party ? Has the lack of novelty about a wedding night been replaced with the perfect party of a lifetime ? And it’s that focus on the evening event comes the demise of children attending as it just isn’t suitable?

I remember going to lots of weddings as a child in the early 90s. It was so exciting being able to run around, dance, talk to adults, get bought bottles of coca cola, eat whatever I wanted from the buffet etc. I didn't have children apart from very close family at my wedding a few years ago and at the time it was a total no brainer. But now I have kids, I'd love them to go to more family weddings and see all their relatives in one place like I did as a child (totally hypocritical I appreciate!). Someone pointed out to me recently that lots of children growing up today have literally never experienced a wedding take place in real life, which seems a bit tragic somehow.

@Quackpot

Just that really. Child free weddings are boring

You must have really boring friends and family then! I've never been to a boring child free wedding. The ones where I've had to focus on my children have been tedious and sober though.

@Quackpot

Just that really. Child free weddings are boring

Not this again!

Yeah, because your children are ‘so very interesting’ to other people

@Ellmau

I think late 90s/early 2000s. When the evening party became more important than the actual ceremony :)

Our reception was a barbecue in the back garden, definitely not a show wedding despite the lack of children

When the uk became a society that doesn’t really give a monkeys about family - all anyone cares about is the party & booze🤷🏼‍♀️….this seems to translate into most of life these days not just weddings.

@switswoo81

Child free weddings are the best.. there's not one part of the day that's child friendly.

You must go to very boring weddings 100% child friendly

So are you family to the B&G OP?

Or just a friend?

@EveningOverRooftops

Probably around the time parents became arseholes and expected everyone else to parent their kids so they could get pissed and cause a scene. Might just be my family though

Ah but it takes a village…

Child free weddings are boring

I have to disagree. Nothing more boring than kids that don’t belong to you. I hate weddings that revolve around children.

We've been married 16 years and child free weddings were a definite thing then. I have kids now, and I think unless there are loads of children there it can be quite boring for them...

Many Weddings are now all about Instagram moments and being perfect and children don’t tend to allow for that. They also seem more friend orientated than a family occasion. The best wedding I’ve been to was a small ceremony then off to a village pub. Ours was really traditional but I wish I’d been brave enough to do that.

I'm Irish so might be slightly different to your experiences but
-hour plus long church ceremony
-2 hour drinks reception (and a stop at the pub on the way there while the photos are taken)

• 4 course dinner
• speeches

-band / dancing with a lot of alcohol involved. Not exactly the place I'd bring my 3yo. And boring is a subjective opinion.

People also stress about dc being bored. When I was younger it was expected that you might be bored but you’d still sit and that’s a pretty good life skill. I used to love people watching, even at that age. I think the main reason is the price per head though.

People have always disappeared for hours for photos, it’s not just an Insta thing. I’ve been at weddings where we’ve waited 3 hours, getting sloshed, while the B and G are off with their photographer. What a waste of your wedding day.

@HelloDulling

I rarely find other people’s children great for conversation, so if a wedding is boring without kids, I doubt it will be improved by a gaggle of over-tired toddlers and showy-offy preteens.

Exactly this.

I have been to many child free weddings and never once had a boring time. I've been to weddings with children and some of those have been boring - children attending is not a guarantee that a wedding will not be boring. It's a silly argument to make.

@HelloDulling

People have always disappeared for hours for photos, it’s not just an Insta thing. I’ve been at weddings where we’ve waited 3 hours, getting sloshed, while the B and G are off with their photographer. What a waste of your wedding day.

Yep, you're not wrong! This was a defo a thing in the 80s and 90s when I was a bridesmaid.

@Quackpot

Just that really. Child free weddings are boring

Then don't have one and turn down the invitation to go to one. People have child free for lots of reasons but as its THEIR wedding they don't need to justify those reasons. It's an invitation not a summons. And honestly if the only bit of a wedding, for someone you're supposed to care about, that you enjoy is watching yours or someone else's kids run around, just don't go. You clearly aren't that bothered about the couple.

Far too many couples nowdays have champagne tastes and a cider budget which is why. Weddings have gone from being family celebrations about young couples beginning their life together to parties for 30+ year olds, who are already living together and may have had a few kids too. Even the honeymoon / wedding night no longer has a point any more.

I’d suggest that if you can’t enjoy a wedding without children than maybe it’s not the wedding that’s boring…