How to Incorporate Your Children in Your Wedding Planning
Planning a wedding requires a great deal of your time and attention. As exciting as this all is, you know you’re going to be a bit stressed over the next few months. When you have children, trying to balance your time and energy between the two tasks can be rather complicated. Spending too much time on the wedding can cause your kids to feel alienated while not giving enough attention to your wedding planning could result in your special day being turned upside down.
A great way to find balance and eliminate any negative feelings your kids might be feeling about your latest project would be to include them in the wedding plans. Though it will take some extra thought and creativity, your children will be elated that they can pitch in and help mom and dad celebrate their big day. Here are some suggestions below:
Put Them in the Wedding
One of the first ways to make your children feel included throughout your wedding plans is to put them in it. Perhaps you have a small son who can be a ring bearer or a little girl who can be a flower girl. If you have teens who are a bit too old for those roles, there’s always the option to make them junior groomsmen and bridesmaids. You can also provide them with other responsibilities during the wedding such as escorting relatives to their seats or handing out wedding programs to guests as they arrive.
Find Some Projects to Work On
Kids of all ages love arts and crafts projects! So, why not get them involved in the wedding planning by allowing them to assist you in certain tasks you want to DIY? They can help you make centerpieces, place cards, wedding favors, or other decor items for your special day. Make a big deal of it by allowing them to go shopping for supplies with you and then complete the projects at home. They’ll be over the moon to know that they helped to decorate their parent’s wedding.
Let Them Showcase Their Talents
Do you have a kid who’s pretty talented? Perhaps they know how to play a musical instrument, sing, write poetry, or dance? If so, you can invite them to perform in front of friends and family at your wedding reception. Allow them to choose what they’re going to down to the music they want to perform to give them a bit of control during your wedding planning process. Now they have something to do and look forward to so that they don’t feel left out.
Take Them with You to Appointments
While you may not want your small kids running around a bridal shop while you’re trying on wedding gowns or throwing a temper tantrum while you’re meeting with your wedding planner, there are certain appointments they would be thrilled to attend. Let the kids come with you to check out the wedding venue, schedule a separate date for them to shop for dresses and tuxedos, or allow them to accompany you and your fiance when you go cake tasting. Just be sure that you have plenty of snacks and some form of entertainment on hand to try and keep the chaos to a minimum.
Ask for Their Help Often
There is a lot to be done when planning a wedding and you’re only one person. While you’ve likely delegated some tasks to your bridesmaids and family members, there are sure to be things your kids can do to make them feel included in the wedding planning process. Whether it’s checking things off your shopping list, assisting you with selecting wedding flowers, or picking some of their favorite songs for the DJ to play at the reception, the more you include them the less inclined they are to feel alienated.
There’s no denying that you’re going to have your hands full trying to plan a wedding while also caring for your kids. To try and reduce your stress, keep the peace, and avoid any feelings of isolation from your children, it’s best to find some ways to include them in the process. The above-mentioned suggestions are sure to do the trick.
