Sorry, this isn’t an “adults only affair.” We have kids. Two, to be exact, and they will be two and a half by the time the wedding gets here. There is no way we can have this beautiful celebration of family and love without incorporating the twins. In this house, everyone has a role (lol)! If you have children or would like to include some kids close to you, here are six great ways to incorporate them.
1.) Junior Bridesmaid/Flower Girl
We plan on letting our daughter be one of the girls that day. Our daughter, although too young to be a junior bridesmaid, is the perfect fit for a flower girl. It’s a pretty low maintenance position: get dressed, look pretty, toss flowers and smile for the camera. If you decide not to do the traditional flower tossing, there are a variety of fun options for your flower girl. You can even make it fun and let your flower girl and ring bearer carry one of those cute “Here comes the Bride” signs!
Your junior bridesmaid is going to be a bit older. Think preteen/early teen. She is also a part of the bridal party and will get to enjoy the events of that day. Her dress could be the same as the bridesmaids or you can opt to go for an age appropriate version. Junior bridesmaid roles are a great way to let older girls feel incorporated.
2.) Ring Bearer
So here’s another benefit of planning a wedding and having boy/girl twins. You have a built in flower girl and ring bearer. Traditionally, the ring bearer carries the rings on a pillow. Not sure if my son will be out of his “throwing everything on the ground” stage yet, so I think we are just going to let him do something simple, like carry a pretend safe or walk with a pillow that has fake rings. Your little man will love having a responsibility and he’ll also enjoy being suited up, just like the big guys.
3.) Usher/Hostess
Here is another role for older kids. Your ushers are going to escort or guide guests to their seats. Female guests should be escorted by the arm. Your hostess is going to greet guest upon arrival for the ceremony and reception. Your hostess can also pass out programs. If you have a seating table, your hostess can also man the table and answer any questions guests may have about seating. The usher and hostess roles are a great way to incorporate older nieces and nephews or kids of close friends, as well.
4.) Mini-Picasso
What is a great way to occupy children during seated dinners and potentially long best man and maid of honor speeches? Crayons and coloring books! Bored children just need to be occupied (says the expert mother of two years, lol). Giving them a coloring book to color lets them be creative and locks them into their own world. You can even create custom made coloring books as a personalized gift!
5.) Dance Fever
Everyone knows the newly married couple’s first dance is the highlight of the reception, but what if you decided to have some fun with it? Let your littlest guests in on the action by letting them do a mock first dance. Mr. and Mrs. can still do their dance first, but afterwards, invite the kids onto the dance floor to rock out to the song you selected. Of course, this works best with an upbeat song.
6.) Little Messengers
If you give a kid a responsibility, they will guard that position and take it so serious as if their lives depended on it. On your wedding day, prepping for the ceremony can get very hectic. However; you still want your groom to know you are thinking about him. Here’s where the kids come in. Let them act as messengers and relay gifts, notes or cards back and forth from you to your groom and vice versa. They will be so happy to have this responsibility, you’d think they work for the United States Postal Service, lol.
So there you have it! I’ve shared a few ideas, but remember, this is your day and you can incorporate kids however you want. Or, choose not to. Whatever is going to make this day most memorable for you and your groom!
