Tips for taking a 6month old to a wedding?

[Lightingcar56]

FTM looking for pearls of wisdom. Before anyone says don't take the baby, unfortunately we don't have that option.

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I've done it when my little one when he was 7 months, and I'm still a little traumatized 😂 but I was not prepared!

So, my first tip would be is to get noise cancelling earphone things for the baby to put on when it gets loud during the reception. You can also get a shade thing for the pram if s/he falls asleep.

Have you started weaning yet? If yes, bring some appropriate snacks, and agree with your partner/another adult to take turns minding the baby during the meal so you can eat.

During ceremony, sit at the back and pop him on a boob (if you are BF) if they get fidgety.

Oh, and wear something patterned, so inevitable smears and splodges won't be as noticeable (I've read this tip somewhere on the internet before we went, and it was great! Camouflaged smeared banana reasonably well!)

On the day, just go with it and try to have fun ☺️

It will be a long day for you both so plan to leave early. I thought I would feel hard done by leaving a wedding reception with my baby at 8 when I sorted transport. But I was desperate to leave earlier.

We did it with a 5 month old and had a lovely time. Main tip would be during the service to sit somewhere where you can make an easy get away if needed - edge of an aisle near the back for example.

Did two weddings when DS was 6 months.

One good experience and one bad. For both I scoped out a room to breastfeed out of the way. I'd emailed one venue to ask where to go and they assured me of a side room. However after arriving after a 2 hour journey on the hottest day of the year, the manager shouted at me to leave the room and 'couldn't I wait to feed?'. She offered me a stool in a portable toilet I'm still cross about that three years later.

DS wasn't weaning. We took a sling for the ceremony so one of us could easily slip off, sat in the aisle near the back. We also took a pushchair for naps. I took a blanket for the floor so he could have a stretch/roll safely in a side room and more nappies than I thought I'd need!

A kind couple at one offered to hold DS so DH and I could eat our meal properly which was very kind. However this was pre-covid!

At that age it was actually logistically much more straightforward than I'd imagined. Good luck!

We went to one when DS was 5 months. DH was prepared from the start to take him out in the ceremony if he got cranky, as it was bang on nap time. Which he did as soon as DS started. He sat in a high chair happily during the meal, with books and toys etc. But everyone was fussing him which helped. My mum was there and took him out for a walk in the buggy at one point. In the evening, we stayed until he got tired and cranky. Only until about 9-ish, but we were prepared for that. It was all fine. I was breastfeeding so wore a strapless dress and went in the gym changing rooms of the hotel to feed, as o could just pull the dress down. Obviously some dresses it would be quite hard to breastfeed.

Thanks everyone great advice here