WWYD - wedding reception no kids 'situation'

[BobbysBeardOfWonder]

Not sure if I'm being PSB (precious second born) or not so am garnering opinion!

We've been invited to friends' wedding in September, with our DC (2yo & 3 months). No DC are allowed at the evening reception due to small size of venue - not even the newborn baby due a few weeks before :(

Anyway we know this & understand its tricky to accommodate everyone; the bride & groom have v helpfully offered to organise a babysitter for the 4/5 young children within the venue, as the reception starts around their bedtime (7pm).
The babysitter would have all the DC in one room, alerting the parents downstairs in the reception if their DC needed settling.

My DC are pretty good at staying asleep (at least for the first part of the night anyway) but I'm not sure if this would happen if any of the other DC woke/started crying etc.

Also I'm not totally sure about leaving them with an unknown person anyway.

The alternative is for me to stay in the bedroom with both DC and miss the reception. I don't really mind, but just wondered if there's another way?!

I think no kids weddings are horrible. If you love someone enough to invite them to your wedding then would you not care about their children too. Seems strange to me and I have no kids. I love my friends kids because I love my friends and their kids are very important to them. Also my friend have cool kids :)
Hire your own babysitter?

Yeah it's not that the couple don't like/want kids there, there is literally no room for them at the evening do. They get their fix of kids at the ceremony & afternoon tea party I think it's better that way anyway - my DC are too young to stay up for the reception but will love the afternoon stuff!
Although saying that we were at another wedding in May when DS was 2 weeks old; he slept/fed the entire time & DD was pretty good til we left at nearly 9pm. rambling now

I hired a babysitter for the hotel room when I got married. It was so much easier as although like you say probably young children would love being around loads of people - not so much fun for the parents who have to worry about what the children are doing, whether they are annoying others and whether they accidentally drink something they shouldn't.

I didn't invite any other children as it was just an evening reception so not really a place for kids.

When I got married first time I only invited immediate family's children as otherwise evening receptions seem to end up overrun with children skidding across the dance floor and also we were limited on numbers like most people.

I know this isn't a popular opinion (my friend and I diasagree about it every time we discuss it!) but I don't really think the daytime at weddings is a place for children unless they specifically put something on for them, they must be bored out of their mind sat through a ceremony and big meal!

Depends on the DC though Cupcake - my DD likes to people-watch so is happy just being, smiling at folk, being cooed over. Doesn't get bored as long as there are people around to chase

Yes you are right Bobby and as long as the parents don't mind its not necessarily a problem unless the children are being disruptive. Often you see children at weddings with no parents in sight and it can be quite annoying as you end up amusing them.

I suppose I really meant during the meal and speeches, usually about 3 hours where children would be expected to be sat pretty quietly especially during speeches as people really want to hear them.

I think as it is an evening party it would be unfair on the other guests if children were running round etc and bothering people (same during the meal/speeches) but if they were well behaved I can't see that anyone would mind, I certainly wouldn't.

"I would want to know the plan if you were needed by the nanny - would they cone and fetch you (leaving a room of tinies) or would they text you?" - Well said, Raisin. I was just thinking that the numbers involved sound a little bit higher in terms of ratios to the sitter than they do with our childminder, so I would feel a bit on edge about this but might be prepared to give it a go.

I think what I would do, if not able to use a family member as a babysitter, would be to go up and check every hour, and not attempt to run out on them until they have gone to sleep. They may well be put out by the hotel surroundings and day's unusualness, smell a rat and NOT go to sleep for love or money if they are anything like DD (thinks back to new year's eve and shudders).

One newborn, one 3 month old, a 2 year old and two others. That's too many children for one babysitter. Other than that, I think they've come up with a nice compromise.

I would come home after the wedding and not stay for the reception..... or not go at all unless they were very close friends.

We have this in a few months with dh's cousin. mChildren invited to ceremony, but will need to be collected before the reception don't know antone who fancies driving an hour to pick up my 5 dc!

just seems the wrong way round to me. Can understand them not wanting littlies wailing all throught the service, but after that, bet they would hardly notice!

I would def either use heir babysitter or bring your own. How often do you get invited to weddings? If you're anything like us, it's not that often and it's lovely to take the opportunity to go if you can.

Check out who the babysitter is in advance. If you're b/f you can always go up to feed when necessary and still be there for most of the reception. Even if all the dc wake each other up and it doesn't go to plan, it's only one evening!

They're perfectly at liberty to state no children at the evening do, nothing 'weird' about that. Sounds like a lot of people on here would make a point of not going for that reason!

Go. You'll have a fab evening. The dc aren't far away, you and dh can check on them.