Sometimes, in order to avoid the possibility of a tantrum during the ceremony or other kid-catastrophes, a bride and groom may wish to exclude children from their wedding and reception. This may offend some people – how could you not want their little darlings around? – but ultimately, it’s your wedding and your decision, whether it burns people’s buns or not. Since it’s a delicate situation, though, you should be careful how you specify that it’s to be a child-free affair. When wording the invitations, never say “No children,” or anything similar; say, “Adults only” or “Adult reception.” This sounds a little less harsh, though the meaning is still the same. You can always tactfully add something at the bottom of the invitation such as, “We have reserved two seats for you.” If you’re excluding some children, it’s only fair to exclude all children, even if it’s just a select few you have in mind (like your cousin’s bratty brood). And if someone slips up and brings a kid, don’t have a fit. What’s done is done, and it’s not worth ruining your day over.
Planning a wedding is complicated work, but when you follow the rules of proper etiquette, at least you can rest easily knowing you’ve done things the right way. Now, if only someone would write such a guide to married life …