Family wedding…we actually brought two brothers to stay and play with our kids (who were invited to the ceremony but not the reception). The kids had a great time…and we had goodies for them all evening. Our DD was a baby and our son was almost 4. They didn’t need to be at a wedding. Since we had two reliable sitters, our nieces and nephews also were included. We all were staying in the same VERY large condo so it worked out well.
For the second family wedding that summer, the bride and groom hired college students for the kids older than 1. Anyone with a baby could bring the under one year old…but let’s just say, there were two of us relatives…one with a 10 month old and one with a six month old. We were seated in a remote corner next to the kitchen floor where we spread out blankets and our two kids slept (luncheon).
But really…if the kids hadn’t been invited, we would have made other arrangements.
As a kid, I attended uncle’s wedding. Somebody had arranged for a bunc kids to go back to a house under the supervision of my oldest cousin (about 18). Alas, nobody remembered we might get hungry. Resourceful Robert found a loaf of bread and made us all butter sandwiches.
Well, the task of telling the parents the baby could attend the reception but not the ceremony fell to me. Mom took it well, said she understood. First time ever in 43 years something like this has not caused major drama. Mom/dad/baby will not attend the ceremony, but will attend the reception until it’s time to put baby to bed. This is still a compromise as no children were invited to attend any part of the event (and one of the attendants has a nursing three-month-old she was able to make arrangements for) and several friends who made arrangements for their babies are sure to be salty about the appearance of this one even at the reception. I am SMH at the rudeness but at least no one screamed or packed up and left.
The rehearsal went fine, the happy hour pizza rehearsal party went well, and all out-of-towners arrived safely. Our son will be married in less than 24 hours.
Oh, and they sold the house today, one day after listing, over asking. It’s PCS (Permanent Change of Station) season for the Army and inventory is low. They are all set to move to MD 8/1.
I’m sure a huge boulder fell off your shoulders… so glad the baby situation has not caused any major drama. Amazing how some folks just assume the rules will be bent for them. And yay to the successful sale!
After the rehearsal happy hour, we returned to the hotel, opened a tab at the rooftop bar, and invited everyone up for evening cocktails and cigars (mostly for our son’s military cohort) until bedtime. It was a spontaneous, organic thing what worked wonderfully as guests continued to trickle in for check-in until midnight. It gave everyone a place to mingle and catch up with the new arrivals and for the bride and groom to spend some time with everybody. They were so chill and so obviously happy. We all went to bed tired, but smiling. This morning, we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and sat for a bit at various tables as revellers eventually made their way in for much-needed coffee. Now we’re relaxing until wedding begins. Just yikes.
IMHO, that’s what I think parents’ role should be at a wedding, especially if the kids are older. Facilitate people getting together rather than coming in like hell on wheels, making demands. We did a Friday-night happy hour, from 5-7, at the kids’ favorite brewery from when they lived there and invited the wedding party and any out-of-town family. Then, the kids left in a limo with the wedding party where they drank late into the night with all their younger friends from in town or who had already gotten in. Everyone in town that night got quality face time with the bride and groom, making the wedding and reception feel less stressful.
@ChoatieMom, I’ve been hoping that the humidity behaved for the wedding - and that the the air conditioning for church (if there was one) and reception were working well. I love that area, but the summer heat can be wicked. I hope that everyone had an amazing time!
Thanks, @kelsmom. Both the ceremony and reception were in the hotel where everyone was staying, so it was easy on everyone. We all expected dire weather but were pleasantly surprised by the warm but not wicked daytime temps and cool evenings. We all had a fabulous time. It was just an absolutely perfect weekend.
DIL sent me a few pics from a batch the photographer sent her earlier today. Unfortunately, the best part of the pics is the happiness on their faces, and I can’t share that, but here are the dresses:
It sounds like a wonderful weekend. The dresses are beautiful. Congratulations! P.S. I love the area of town the hotel is in. I’ve never been inside, but it looks lovely.
No, just deep happiness. Honestly, they radiated love and happiness. It was wonderful to see. We asked our son the night before if he was nervous or anxious and he said no, he just couldn’t wait to call her “Mrs.” and enjoy the party. There was no tension anywhere, just a lot of fun.
My mom drove back to the cabin with us after the wedding, so I’m still having fun. Maybe some let down after she leaves and life goes back to normal?
FWIW I had no letdown after D’s wedding – just a sense of happiness combined with feelings of relief that everything went just as the joyful and grateful couple had hoped. (I was also very happy when two weeks passed and nobody called to say they had covid.)
@choatiemom I was in town last weekend, and having lived there before, the weather was as good as it gets for late June. It got humid and hot a day or so later (don’t know how long you stayed in town). So glad it was a pleasant, happy weekend and that things sorted out with the little one without fuss. The pics are gorgeous!
As I posted upthread, mom was gracious in her response and understanding of the request. They did not attend the ceremony but were very pleasant at the reception, and the baby didn’t cry or fuss during the couple of hours she and her parents attended. To my knowledge, no one was offended or said anything if they were, really a mature first for this family. I was so grateful.
I am hosting my daughter’s bridal shower on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. I am going to need all the help I can get! I haven’t even been to a bridal shower for at least 15 years! It will be in a restaurant, co-ed, around 35 people. Help! Useful websites?
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