For those that are visiting our blog for the first time, welcome to Madera Estates! As a luxury wedding venue and event space located in Conroe, TX, we’ve been honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of so many awesome wedding celebrations over the years! It’s safe to say that every single one of them always has its own unique touch and witnessing couples say “I Do” is something that never gets old. Having seen first-hand this many weddings, we also feel confident in our ability to provide some inspiration or tips to those that have recently gotten engaged and are looking for some ideas for their own big day. After all, if you take a look through some of our prior blog posts, you’ll notice that wedding planning tips and inspiration are a major aspect of the content we post on here!
On this week’s blog, we’ll keep that theme going and take a deeper look at how you can include your kiddos in your wedding celebration. No matter if this is your second marriage, you already have children with your soon-to-be partner or have had kids from a previous relationship, there are certainly so many possibilities to consider to ensure this is a memorable moment for the entire family. With that being said, let’s hop right in and discuss some ideas for including your children in your wedding celebration.
Consider Having a First Look Moment With Them
If you follow us on social media or have checked out some of our “Real Wedding” blogs, chances are you’ve seen how popular First Look’s have become. This intimate moment is always a memorable experience for the couple and also makes for amazing photo opportunities as well. However, keep in mind that you can do more first look’s too, in addition to the one with your soon-to-be spouse. Some other possibilities include with your groomsmen, bridesmaids, parents, siblings or your children! For those with kids, we think it’s definitely worth considering having a first look with them, as it will surely create a memorable and exciting moment for everyone involved!
Flower Girl or Ring Bearer
Another fun decision that you’ll make as part of the wedding planning process is selecting your flower girl and ring bearer! An easy answer to this choice would be picking your own kids to serve this role. This will keep them involved in the actual ceremony and will certainly be something they’ll always remember. Additionally, this will keep them included in the pre-wedding rehearsal as well!
Are your kids a little bit older and as such, probably not the best fit to serve as a flower girl or ring bearer? That’s no problem at all! There are plenty of jobs to be had for a wedding ceremony, so you’ll have no trouble finding a role for them. Perhaps they do a reading during the ceremony or even be ushers. It’s completely up to you! Another popular option for those with older kids is having them serve as bridesmaids or groomsmen. This will undoubtedly keep them involved every step of the way.
Including Them Throughout the Planning Process
In the midst of the wedding planning process, there will surely be plenty of fun activities that you’ll need to check off your to-do list. Depending on the age of your kids, many of these can be activities that your kids can participate in too. Think of ones like taste-testing food and cake options, any crafty projects like favors for your guests, bringing them along for wedding dress shopping, the list goes on! In any case, the one common denominator amongst all of these tasks is just keeping the kiddos involved throughout the process.
Giving a Speech
As you’ve likely started to notice throughout this blog, a major factor in how you include your kids in the actual wedding festivities is their age. Younger kids might be best off acting as the ring bearer or flower girl, while older kids might have a bit of a different role in the celebration. For those with older kids, one possibility would be to have them give a speech. Obviously, it would be a good idea to ask them if they’re comfortable doing so, but it would nonetheless make for a special moment that you all will remember!
Presenting Them With a Gift During the Ceremony
Another popular way we’ve seen couples include their children is by having a special part of the ceremony dedicated to them. Just as you exchange rings and vows with your spouse during the ceremony, consider echoing a similar sentiment with your kids. Consider working with your officiant or wedding planner to carve out a time slot in the ceremony to present them with a gift or a few words showing just how much they mean to you. The time in which you do this is a decision you’ll need to make though. For some, it may make sense to put these around the same time you’re exchanging vows/rings with your spouse, while others may opt to put it earlier in the ceremony. There really is no wrong answer to that question!
Keeping Children Entertained at a Wedding
While we’re on the topic of weddings and kids, we thought you may be interested in checking out one of our past blogs that discussed the topic of keeping your children entertained at a wedding. Having helped host hundreds of weddings over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to have seen how plenty of couples have handled this topic. I’ve linked to that blog post down below, but here were a few of the main points included. Keep in mind that these are likely more relevant for your guest’s kids.
Having Them Snap Behind-the-Scenes Moments – Whether it be with your phone or a disposable camera, an easy way to keep kids occupied is by having them snap some candid photos, primarily during the reception.
Outdoor Activities – Another easy way to keep all of the children entertained is with some outdoor activities. Corn hole, tic-tac-toe, ring toss, there are certainly no shortage of options in this category!
Get Them Reading – If you’re a wedding guest and your kids absolutely love reading a particular book, then that would obviously be an easy way for keeping them occupied.
To check out that complete blog and learn some more of our favorite tips for keeping children entertained at weddings, click HERE.
Need Some More Wedding Day Inspiration?
As we’ve mentioned before here on the blog, there are certainly plenty of components that encompass the wedding planning process. Touring venues, taste-testing catering options, booking photographers, planning individual aspects of the actual ceremony, you name it! If you’re someone that’s looking for ideas in regards to incorporating your kiddos in your wedding celebration, we hope you found some helpful tips in this blog! For those of you who are looking for some additional inspiration for the various other aspects of wedding planning, don’t hesitate to check us out on Facebook or Instagram. We routinely post photos and videos held at Madera Estates and it’s truly the perfect place for unique ideas on wedding planning!
Engaged and searching for your dream wedding venue near The Woodlands or Houston? Based in Conroe, TX, we would love to have the opportunity to show you around our venue/event space. To check out our booking calendar and select a time that works best for you, click the link HERE. We look forward to hearing from you!