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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

10 small children up the aisle?!

49 replies

Janediamond · 17/05/2018 12:00

Experiencing horrified fascination at the idea of sending ten children aged 2-7, including five under 5s, up the aisle without any adult bridesmaids!
Would be difficult at any wedding but a Royal one choreographed to the nth degree and broadcast throughout the world?!
The anxiety their poor parents must be going though!

OP posts:
Original poster
Janediamond · 17/05/2018 12:02

Not really an AIBU, more of an are THEY BU, and AIBU to get trembly at the very thought Confused!

OP posts:
LOL7 · 17/05/2018 12:02

Children are children, any mistakes made by them will be seen as 'adorable' and part of the charm of the wedding :)

CherryBlossom23 · 17/05/2018 12:05

I'm sure it will be amusing if something goes wrong, but yes, no one will care because they're small children. I feel Harry and Meghan might will see the funny side too.

Bearhunter09 · 17/05/2018 12:07

It’s going to be well worth watching just for this alone! I had grad designs of 3 2.5 year olds following me down the aisle. One was my son. My son ended up holding my dads hand (thank god id not gone for a ball gown) and the adult bridesmaid holding the hands of the other two. Much bribery will be going on - I bet they’ve been frog matched up and down that aisle 50,000 times, but I front of 800 people? Yes the parents must be shitting themselves

MyBreadIsEggy · 17/05/2018 12:07

I had little bridesmaids too - my cousins daughters were 2 & 4. The 2yo face planted spectacularly and it was a total “awww” moment as her sister helped her up and brushed her dress down Grin
I think it’s cute when the bridesmaids are children

MightyMucks · 17/05/2018 12:07

They’ve done it before. Neither Diana or Fergie had an adult bridesmaid. Although having said that, Prince William was a right little shit at Andrew’s wedding to Fergie.

confusedlittleone · 17/05/2018 12:09

I find it odd that Prince William is the only adult member of the wedding party? Surely it would of been better to cut him and have all children? (Or Meghan also have an adult bridesmaid)

MereDintofPandiculation · 17/05/2018 12:12

Used to be pretty usual. All the weddings I remember from childhood you gathered up young children of the family and your friends' young children. Admittedly 2 was probably unusually young, and you hoped to have a 10-12 years old to keep the rest in order.

Original poster
Janediamond · 17/05/2018 12:16

Diana’s bridesmaids and pages included several much older chikdren though and none under 5. Fergie had none under 6!
No doubt George and Charlotte will manage okay, but it’s a huge ask for the other 2/3/4 year olds!

OP posts:
CherryBlossom23 · 17/05/2018 12:17

confusedlittleone I was reading in some rag that apparently Meghan didn't want to choose between her friends so that's why she's not having a maid of honour. I'm not from the UK so I hadn't realised that having child bridesmaids was a royal tradition until this year.

MightyMucks · 17/05/2018 12:28

Prince William had only just turned 4 when he was Fergie’s page.

Lottapianos · 17/05/2018 12:33

'Although having said that, Prince William was a right little shit at Andrew’s wedding to Fergie.'

Grin Was he indeed?! Tell us more....

CaliforniaDream · 17/05/2018 12:35

Can't wait to see how it unfolds tbh Grin I expect it will be cute anyway!

BertrandRussell · 17/05/2018 12:36

It'll look like Snow White.........

DickensianHysteric · 17/05/2018 12:37

They are absolutely crazy, but I bet all the kids will look really cute!

Mormont · 17/05/2018 12:38

Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones was 17 when she was the oldest bridesmaid at the wedding of Charles and Diana so hardly a little child.

jaguar67 · 17/05/2018 12:41

Incredibly brave & 'good on 'em', I say - it'll certainly take the focus off all the other drama going on around this wedding!

Lots of little ones isn't that unusual for a normal wedding, but it is unusual to have so many without older attendants - especially as they aren't familiar with each other. And for a wedding of this scale - I'm imaging some flunky at the West Door of St George's Chapel prodding them down the aisle with a stick - what great TV!

Some of the kids have only flown over in the past day & will be dealing with 8hr jet lag alone, never mind the enormity/ newness of 600+ guests staring at them... maybe the jet lag will leave them too spaced out to care!

It's a big ask but I bet they'll all be fine. Can't say the same for the parents though, gawd knows how nervous they must be feeling!

MereDintofPandiculation · 17/05/2018 12:45

I find it odd that Prince William is the only adult member of the wedding party? Surely it would of been better to cut him and have all children? He's Best Man isn't he? You can't have "Best Boy"!

DrEustaciaBenson · 17/05/2018 12:47

I expect their mums will be nearby to supervise and to step in and take aside any child who looks like being overwhelmed by the occasion.

QueenDandelion · 17/05/2018 12:58

It sounds bonkers but fun. I like them for going for it and not minding that a wedding party with lots of children may be a bit hit and miss.

I do however want the whole thing to be over, I'm getting really nervous about it now with the whole extended family drama and hype overload. If I was Harry and Meghan I'd be a nervous wreck.

71HourAchmed · 17/05/2018 13:06

Meh, I had 8 flower girls / page boys - oldest was 4, no adult bridesmaids. Smallish wedding, my mum insisted all my nieces and nephews would get upset if they weren't included, and I wasnt bothered - they did all look extremely cute though.

They all behaved remarkably well, considering - only issue apparently was persuading them to start walking down the aisle....

Suspect a PP poster is right - any mistakes will definitely be seen as extremely cute

SenecaFalls · 17/05/2018 13:06

I hope we get to see more of Princess Charlotte doing her mini-royal wave.

viques · 17/05/2018 13:07

I thought this too, herding cats came to mind.

I hope they don't dress the boys in those awful satin pantaloon things, someone ought to put serious thought into designing decent page boy outfits, they are nearly awful dreadful, either silk and satin or mini military, surely there must be a middle way.......

viques · 17/05/2018 13:08

Awful/ always

BertrandRussell · 17/05/2018 13:09

One Norland Nanny will be able to manage 10 under 7s easy peasy.