Children & Pets On Your Wedding Day

Many of us have younger children, siblings or nieces and nephews that we want to include in our wedding party. The cuteness factor of having a little flower girl or ring bearer cannot be matched. They look adorable in their bridesmaid dresses and little tuxedos. We also consider having our family pet marching down the aisle on our wedding day. These members of our family should be a part of the big day, but be warned… Things can go wrong. Here are some tips to help you decide on whether or not to include these little ones in your wedding party.

The Children:

These little cherubs can be a beautiful addition to any wedding party. The only problem is that they may not realize the importance of the day or their role in your day. For the most part you do not want to choose anyone under the age of four years old. It is difficult to make the little ones understand their duties and they can become easily distracted. The little ones can also tend to want to be the center of attention and can really disrupt the wedding ceremony. Now granted, this is just a rule of thumb and you can easily make these decisions on your own experience with these children, but I have seen many ceremonies go not quite as smoothly as planned. This is also part of the allure to having children in your party as the unknown adds some excitement. Most of the time, children over four years old tend to perform their tasks flawlessly. You also may want to hire a baby sitter to watch after all the children that are attending your wedding day. The events of the day can be long and drawn out and make young children irritable and bored. Make them a part of your day, but give them the option to go and nap or play in a different area then where the reception is being held. Many banquet facilities have separate rooms set aside for just this reason. It usually only costs a little bit more, but can be well worth it.

The Pets:

You probably already know what I’m going to say about this idea: Risky, Risky, Risky. Pets have their own ideas of what they want to do. Obviously, once again, you know what your pet is capable of and would not decide to include your pet in the ceremony if you did not feel comfortable, but this option can sometimes go wrong. You want to make sure that your pet is comfortable around large groups of people and will have no trouble trotting down the aisle. You may want to pair up your pet on a leash with someone they feel comfortable with to avoid the animal from jumping into the pews to say hello to long lost Aunt Betty. Consider hiring an animal trainer a few weeks before your event to teach your pet the tasks at hand. This is always a crowd pleaser when everything goes right. If you are holding your ceremony at the same place as your reception then be sure to check if the pet is allowed in the building. Many local health codes will prevent your pet from entering the establishment. Make sure you delegate someone to take your pet back home after the ceremony.