Tips To Keep Young Children Occupied At A Wedding

Children attending a wedding can be a touchy subject. You may be planning a formal event, your venue may or may not allow kids, or your budget may not allow room to pay for a child's attendance. Or perhaps you just prefer that your weddings be kid free - an evening where adult family and friends can come together and celebrate - which I totally respect and understand. There are no words to describe how much I love my daughter, but I would much prefer to attend a wedding sans baby - giving myself and hot date (my husband of course!) a night free of graham cracker smears and adult conversation - and dancing! Some other attendees may feel differently: cousin Jane R.S.V.P'd five people (two adults, and three kids), when clearly the invitation was addressed only to Mr. and Mrs. John & Jane Doe; or your friend Stacy's babysitter cancelled last minute; or perhaps you invited the entire Smith Family intentionally (2 parents and 4 kids!) There are many reasons children attend weddings - hopefully, it is because you requested their presence, but circumstances arise that may be our of your control. Fortunately, you have 530 Bride Event Coordinators to help you navigate the child attendance dilemma.

Below are some ideas to help  you control the uncontrollable, and maintain your desired atmosphere by providing some entertainment to keep your little guests occupied and well-behaved.

1. Designate a separate kid-friendly space!

Look to see if your venue has a separate room or outdoor space that would be available to act as a 'childcare' setting. Hire a babysitter(s) and pay them an hourly wage. Make sure you have an appropriate babysitter to child ratio, and sitters who are CPR trained. Parents will want to make sure that their child is sufficiently cared for. For kids who are relatively young, make sure your space is child-proofed. For example, cover electrical outlets, make sure stairs are blocked off with a gate, and breakable items are stored out of reach. Bring in books, movies, coloring books, or other craft items to keep children occupied.

2. Offer a kid-friendly menu and dining table!

Designate a "kids table" where kids can eat unbreakable dinner wear (paper plates and plastic cups for example.) If you feel up to it, provide a more kid friendly main dish (chicken strips, hamburgers, carrot sticks, 100% fruit juice, cheese sticks, etc.) You may opt to avoid foods like spaghetti that may end up staining a young boy's clean white shirt. Cover the kids table with a paper 'tablecloth' and allow kids to draw silly versions of the bride and groom.

3. Provide alternate activities!

• Provide kid-friendly (quiet) activities. For example: coloring books, crayons, quiet toys (foam blocks, bubbles (kids love bubbles!), balloons), puppet show, hop scotch or other crafts. Avoid providing kids with balls, bats, swords, or other fun toys turned weapons. A fun game of wiffle ball or tag would be fine if there was a space away from your reception area.
• If it fits within your theme (and budget), you could hire outside entertainment (like a magic show!)
• Show a "drive-in" movie. Lay some blankets on the ground, pop some popcorn, hang a sheet, and feature a popular Disney movie.
• Give kids some glow sticks, and let them have their own dance party.
• Get a polaroid camera and some photo booth props (mustaches, boas, hats, sunglasses, dry erase board with markers, etc.) and allow the kids to create and enjoy their own photo booth.

4. Include them!

Depending on their age, you can always include them by give them jobs, such as manning the guest book table, helping guests find their seats, or passing out wedding programs.

5. Don't be afraid to designate a person to monitor out-of-control behavior!

However you decide to provide entertainment to children - or not provide alternative activities - ideally, a parent or guardian should be responsible for their children's behavior. It is your big day, which entitles you to whatever type of ceremony and reception atmosphere you and your groom desire. However, sometimes our hopes do not turned out as planned - in extreme circumstances, be prepared to have an individual that can nip chaotic behavior before it ruins the atmosphere and vibe of your wedding.

We'd love to hear our 530 Brides thoughts and ideas on innovative ways to include children in your wedding!

Posted by 530 Bride Event Coordinator, Alisha Rouland (alisha@the530bride.com)

You're Invited!

Sometimes it is fun just to get your hands dirty and do something creative & fun! The workshop is suitable for parents, couples, craft enthusiasts & members of the wedding party . We hope you will join us for our first DIY Workshop, and we also welcome requests for topics & future projects so leave us a comment and tell us what you think!

Tackling Your Pinterest Board: how to focus ideas into a vision

By Christina Rafael

When I first got engaged, back in February 2012, I had a plethora of ideas I wanted to incorporate into my wedding and no idea how to execute them.

Was I a modern bride? Rustic? Should I call vendors? What about my dress?

These were just some of the topics I was mulling over in my brain and obsessing over in my dreams.

I had been planning—like most women I know—an imaginary dream wedding on Pinterest for quite some time before a ring was even introduced by my fiance. Anytime I would see something shiny or pretty, I would pin it.  Anytime something made me cry, I would pin it. And anytime I did a mini clap over a creative idea, I would pin it.

I got a bit shameless with my “pinnings” and needless to say, had no focus or clear vision for my big day (May 25^th!)

I’m sure I’m not the only person who went a bit overboard with ideas and thought it might be helpful for our 530 Brides to know they aren’t alone!

Here’s some tips on how I was able to condense my  ideas, pave the road to planning and communicate with vendors who lacked psychic abilities to know EXACTLY what I wanted.

Take a Good, hard, look at your wedding Pinterest board

I set aside a morning to scan all three hundred pins (I know…) and look through them for repetitive ideas.

I recorded reoccurring themes and colors on post-it’s and found that I pinned, more than often, a LOT of burlap and blush-themed wedding ideas. As a result of this exercise I was able to determine my colors (neutrals with splashes of blush) and bridal style: rustic romantic. I was also able to select DIY projects I could successfully complete.

Folders, folders galore

My wedding folders can be classified as a bit obsessive. Once I was going through my Pinterest  on paper I decided to tackle it virtually. I saved actual images from pins to my desktop and classified them by what they applied to.

For example, if I loved a cake design I would have a folder entitled “Reception” and within that folder would be one named “Food”, within THAT folder would be a “cake” folder filled with several photos.

This organization prevented me from getting lost in my own ideas. It also came in handy to show family and vendors photos of what inspired me from my laptop without relying on wifi connection.

Look at vendor websites

One thing I’ve learned as a bride is to pay attention to the vendors you pick and why you pick them.

Many wedding vendors—from caterers to consultants—have social media you can look at to view previous work. If you seem drawn to a certain vendor, make sure to see what they’ve done in the past and branch off of it.

For example, if you find a dessert display (like the one pictured above) on a caterer's Facebook page, reference it to them when you discuss your own plans and discuss why you liked it.

Often times they’ll be flattered, know exactly what you’re talking about and can make it better than it was before.

Call in for re-enforcements

If your vision wanders, you feel overwhelmed or just have a small question as you begin this planning journey, give us a call or comment on a post through our website or on social media . We're always reading our feedback and love to hear from our brides.

Our services are also available, from full planning packages to specialized event coordination. We also offer hour-long consultations where you can get detailed answers to questions, help with vendor planning, guides for invitation wording  and much more.

Happy Planning and remember, we're here if you need a hand.

How to get the most from a Bridal Show

A Bridal Show is an investment in your wedding.Not only can you compare vendors with more ease and speed than normal, but you can score amazing promotions, “show offers”, and prizes for your wedding. The key to getting the most out of a Bridal Show is to be prepared! Below are a few quick tips that are sure to improve your experience.

Buy your ticket early Most shows sell tickets online, and if you buy ahead of time you will get the best price. If it slipped your mind in all the chaos of wedding planning, you can sometimes purchase at the door, however you are risking the show being sold out. You can also ask any vendors that will be in the show if they have any complimentary tickets.

Bring someone along Your fiancé, your mom, your maid of honor, or the whole bunch will add to your support group. They can help you accomplish everything on your to-do list for the day, keep you from getting overwhelmed, and make the experience fun!

Wear comfortable shoes! However long you plan on staying, you will be mostly walking and standing. Also, temperature control is a gamble, so come prepared. It can be too hot with all those people there, or the venue may overcompensate for the crowd by running the AC too much.

Have a Game Plan Chances are you won’t be able to make it to every vendor, and if you did, it’d be more overwhelming than helpful. Before the show, find out which vendors will be in the show, and decide whose booths you want to visit. Keep in mind that many vendors will be offering promotions and drawings that you won’t want to miss!

Bring a camera, a notepad, and a pen You will probably hear or see things that will inspire you. You won’t want to forget the creative DIY altar featured in that one picture, or the exact design or flavor of that unbelievable cake you tasted.

Bring your Checkbook Some deals or dates won’t be around after the bridal show, & some won’t even make it to noon. It’s important to go in knowing your budget and knowing want you want because this is the time to jump on a deal when you hear it.

Don’t shun the Literature Even if you didn't plan on searching for a certain vendor while you’re there, still take brochures and business cards for later. You may see something you like, decide to pass them to another bride, or even end up needing to replace a vendor later on, and having some extra knowledge of what’s out there won’t hurt.

Bonus: Use Contact Labels A nifty tip for a super-organized bride is to bring along address labels with your name, email, and phone number. Use these to place on vendors’ contact sheets, otherwise you’ll be spending valuable time writing the same information over and over.

Now that you're ready for the Bridal Show, don't forget the most important part of the wedding process: enjoy yourself!

Posted by Kendall Arelleis, Event Coordinator with The 530 Bride