Flower girls and ring bearers are musts for many brides, but some brides don’t see their reception as a place for kids to run around, creating havoc all night long. If you decide to have a flower girl or ring bearer in your wedding party, you will have to consider inviting other children (sons and daughters of guests) as well. This decision can create a bit of a challenge for today’s modern bride to be. So what can a bride do to solve this headache without offending her beloved guests?

The very first thing you can do is come up with an entertainment plan for the kids in the evening. Hire a few professional babysitters, and rent a space at the hotel or wherever your reception is held. Arrange for movies, games, snacks, and maybe a clown or a magician so the kids are entertained somewhere else- not on the middle of the dance floor, pulling on your very expensive couture wedding dress! It might cost you a little more money to do this, but the comfort will be priceless.

Be sure to include a description of the kids’ event in your wedding invitations to the appropriate guests. That way you are giving a subtle yet graceful reminder for your guests to keep their beloved children in check on your special day. Most parents will be relieved to be able to have a bit of time to themselves to truly enjoy your wedding, and the kids would much prefer their own brand of entertainment instead of being stuck in a chair for hours! A side-note here: if children will be present at your lunch or dinner, it will save you a lot of money to specially order from your caterer smaller children’s portions. Just be sure that when your guests RSVP, they tell you how many children they are bringing.

Now for those of you who absolutely do not want to a have kids at the wedding, not even a flower girl, then you need to be very clear about that. Even if your invitation does not mention that the kids are invited, some parents will show up with their children anyway, unless you specifically direct them to leave the kids at home. You might offend some people with this issue but if it is that important to you, one of your well-spoken bridesmaids should call the appropriate guest and mention that you are having an adults-only wedding and due to level of sophistication and control you’d like to maintain at your event as well as a possibly very late reception, children are advised to be left at home. Whatever you decide to do, remember that it is your dream day, and this kind of pre-planning will ensure that it will indeed be the best day ever!