Are you bringing los ninos? Kids at your wedding…

Whether to invite the children of your guests has long been a topic of discussion among bridal couples. It seems more and more acceptable at less formal affairs, but in these changing times, that standard is changing, too.

Having your destination wedding in Cabo is a perfect excuse for a family vacation, but still not all couples are having the children at the wedding itself. In case your struggling how to present this topic to your guests, I want to let you know you aren’t alone and share some of our experiences so you can make a well informed decision you can feel comfortable.

My couples ask me frequently what is customary and my answer is there really is no “customary” anymore. Everything is custom! We always suggest making the couple’s children part of the ceremony as ring bearers, flower girls or even attendants, depending on their ages but you do need to take into consideration the age and personality of the child. If they are not mature enough to understand why they are participating, you may want to relieve them from that responsibility and stress in having to follow rules and protocols they are not familiar. One rehearsal often isn’t enough to keep some curious kids walking down the aisle.

But look at this beauty!!! Mom and dad were very proud!

It is also important to think of what their behavior during the reception is likely to be, based on the time of day, surrounding and other guests. Babies can take long naps in the stroller and still allow mom and dad to dance and enjoy the reception. Older kids may require more attention and care and those needs must be considered prior to the event to keep everyone smiley and happy all the way through!

Almost every resort in Cabo offers babysitting services or kids clubs that will take good care of the children if you decide to not have them present at the ceremony or reception. Many also provide private service where the caregiver can watch the babies and children on site, so the children can be present but attended to by others who won’t feel left out of the festivities. Those services will be available through the concierge and should be scheduled in advance.

The other option is of course, to bring the children to the ceremony and wedding. In my experience, most of the kids have a blast and are the number one dancers!!! However, at some point they often get tired and fall asleep, and that becomes the queue for mom and dad to go back to their room and put them to bed often well before the reception is over.

When you decide to invite guest’s children, or to bring your own children to your wedding, it is always a nice gesture to create escort cards or place cards for them as well. Create something special for them, like a bag with toys, or crayons and coloring books. They will feel special and will have something to do during the wedding.

In this table, there are escort cards with animal shapes, trucks, planes and vases with candy! That sounds like a lot of sugar to keep them going throughout the reception!

What about a table designated for kids only? Check this one out! Instead of putting fabric linen, we designed a carton paper as a linen so they could draw on it.

It is important to try to customize the favors for them so a girl doesn’t end up with a toy truck or a boy with pink glittery crayons!

The menu is also an important aspect to consider. Please provide us with a head count of kids so we, as your coordinator and advisor, can work on a menu for them. The most popular dishes that all hotels are willing to prepare for them are mini burgers, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza and fries! Not only will you please them, but you will also save money as these options are less expensive than a regular meal for adults.

If you are requesting open bar, also make sure you communicate to us or the hotel, that you will have children at your party. That way they can adjust the price of the bar for the number of kids attending your wedding.

I hope my recommendations make it easier on you when deciding if you will have children at your wedding. Remember that few things are customary so make it custom to your desires!

Have fun!!!

By Gaby Cobian