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Original poster

Help! Nearly 100 children....

29 replies

VenetiaLanyon · 07/02/2011 17:50

if we invite our 120 friends. We have a DC too, and I was happily planning a child-friendly wedding, but now can't imagine ho we'll cope / what we'll do with them.

Has anyone done anything they'd recommend, or had any really good ideas? Really don't want to ban children from coming, but the numbers are horrendous....

OP posts:
rubyrubyruby · 07/02/2011 19:01

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Hassled · 07/02/2011 19:03

I'm impressed you have 120 friends. I don't think I do.

Book a children's entertainer/clown-type person and make sure the venue has a suitable room off the main room? Ask the local college if there are any trainee nursery nurses willing to work for a few hours?

SleepWhenImDead · 07/02/2011 19:03

You could hire one of those party in a bus things. But not sure that would accomodate 100 children! How about a reception in a soft play centre? ;)

Grabaspoon · 07/02/2011 19:05

How do 120 friends have 100 children between them?

rubyrubyruby · 07/02/2011 19:05

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headfairy · 07/02/2011 19:07

crickey, I'm all for children at weddings, but that seems loads. I told everyone and anyone to bring their children to my wedding and in the end we had about 15. I didn't worry about entertainers and the like as most of the children knew each other. Some brought some toys to play with, there was some (grudging) sharing and I also did party bags for them all which had some things to distract them for a while - bubbles, colouring things, face paints, that sort of thing.

mackereltaitai · 07/02/2011 19:07

Bloody hell. Barbecue/hog roast in a very large field with a playground/woodland nearby?

Detail some friends and relatives to do various child-friendly things at various points

If there is a good age range that should help.

rubyrubyruby · 07/02/2011 19:09

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Mollymax · 07/02/2011 19:10

Childrens entertainer in another room is a good idea.
Or a totally child free wedding, but you will probably have many complaints.
It is a difficult one.

headfairy · 07/02/2011 19:17

If there's outdoor space can you hire a bouncy castle? I'm thinking lots of opportunity to wear themselves out on that. My cousin had a bouncy castle at his wedding for the kids, but it was dominated by the grown ups :o

Eglu · 07/02/2011 19:18

I would go with family children only. There are obviously childrens entertainers etc. but it will cost a fortune for that many children.

Original poster
VenetiaLanyon · 07/02/2011 21:32

Grabaspoon, practically everyone we are inviting is a couple with at least one if not four children; 'tis quite easy to get to nearly 100, I can tell you. Comes from being a wee bit older than your average bride...

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LizaTarbucksAuntie · 08/02/2011 09:52

Same situation, solved by storytelling and activity tent for kids manned by staff from local nursery, kids can then go and have a snuggle under some blankets to allow parents to stay longer in the evening.

We're having a marquee (in theory) though so that's fairly easy for us.

Original poster
VenetiaLanyon · 08/02/2011 10:42

Thanks LizaTarbucksAuntie; so how are you doing it? Putting the kids in the marquee in the day, and then clearing them out somewhere else for the wedding breakfast?

What happens to everyone if it rains?

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wannaBe · 08/02/2011 10:46

no. don't do it.

family children only or none if you can get away with it!

100 children will practically double your wedding cost - are you up for that?

tbh most people will be glad to get shot of their kids for a day anyway.

missmehalia · 08/02/2011 10:53

Similar situation for us a few years ago, though the numbers not so huge!

First of all, we told everyone on the invitations we love children, and were happy to have them there. However, from the child's point of view, weddings are not fascinating. Indeed, the ceremony bit can be excruciatingly boring for them. So, as each parent knows their child best, if they think their child will be bored (and many are) then please find a way to have them elsewhere. That way the parents can relax.

Our aim was to have QUIET during the ceremony. And we were very upfront about that. The deal was, bring your child if they can be quiet for 15 mins. If they can't, please take them out immediately or leave them at home. It is boring for them. And inconsiderate to do otherwise.

At the party bit straight after, it's actually huge fun to have a big variety of ages there, imo.

I think the various suggestions on here about a separate children's bit is a brilliant one. There are so many of them! You could also do a separate children's food bit that way, too, as they often find it very hard to wait to eat.

rubyrubyruby · 08/02/2011 11:04

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Dropdeadfred · 08/02/2011 11:08

we used this service - they were great Artful Splodgers

vicbar · 08/02/2011 11:09

I had my reception in a marquee on a cricket pitch and hired a bouncy castle, bungee fun and face painter. TBH it was like a fete with posher clothes but I loved it and most parents took the kids home to babysitters etc so they could let there hair down. plus the adults loved the bungy run too!

I think kids make a wedding but I have no problem at all being invited to adults only.

I have 4 DC and and adult only invite is a great way to get a weekend away just me and DH without the guilt as it wasnt our decision Wink.

Have a great day whatever you decide.

LizaTarbucksAuntie · 08/02/2011 12:06

No, we're having a separate tent.
Following the ceremony we're having outdoor games and canapes and drinks.

The kids can then use the other tent as much or as little as they wish, just means that parents and kids can stay all day.

Wouldn't dream of 'separating' them, I'm actually looking forward to having my 50 or so honarary nieces and nephews running about with us.

Hope you find a solution that works for you

Original poster
VenetiaLanyon · 08/02/2011 12:07

There are only 3 close family children, including my DC, plus another 4 if you count step-siblings; but am much closer to some friends' children than to step-siblings. And I have 4 god-children, and they all have siblings - aargh!

Vicbar, how did you work it with timings of what you did and when?

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blueberryjam · 09/02/2011 17:33

I have 50 children under 8 coming to mine. We are having a marquee in a field. Posh picnic for main meal and bbq in evening. We have a seperate smaller marquee that we are filling with kids activities. Also having entertainer, facepainting and bouncy castle. Will be like a summer fete which is exactly how I want it

Original poster
VenetiaLanyon · 09/02/2011 17:55

That sounds great, Blueberry Jam; are you getting a company to organise the activities for you?

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rubyrubyruby · 11/02/2011 19:47

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JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 15/02/2011 09:30

I don't think the ratio would work for me - it would be far too easy for the whole even to be dominated by children.

Maybe the way to do it would be to have a fairly demarcated order of the day - daytime things being family oriented, with a more grown up evening do.

I went to a city wedding recently where there was a three hour break between the day and the night - after the ceremony there was a lovely lunch/afternoon tea affair and then a gap before dinner in the evening. It worked because it was in town but also because most people were fairly local so had time to take their younger DCs to babysitters and come back for a night of revellry. There were older children at the eveing thing, but they were all 10 or so so entertained themselves.

It would be horrible though if most of the adult guests left early on to take their DCs home and didn't come back. Hmmm.