Your wedding is a time when you want to be surrounded by your nearest and dearest, travelling from near and far to witness your marriage. Are you inviting children to be part of your wedding day? Whether children and younger ones are part of the day is down to the couple. In this day in age, we see a large number of couples who already have children deciding to tie the knot. This means that their children play an important role in the days’ events and means that other children may be welcome on the day, especially from the point of view of providing company and playmates! We welcome children here at Talhenbont Hall and the grounds offer a wonderful playground to keep children busy on your big day. The private, exclusive use of the whole estate for your wedding means that you can relax safe in the knowledge that is will only be your family and close friends around.
The roles each of the adults in the wedding party on your big day is quite clearly defined. Your bridesmaids making sure the day runs smoothly, the Best Man looking after guests and delivering his speech, or your Maid of Honour holding your dress and taking care of you, however, when it comes to other roles that involve children at your wedding in the form of page boys and flower girls, their responsibilities can be a little unclear. From our experience they seem thrilled to have a few responsibilities, even minor ones, to keep them busy.
Flowers Girls
There is nothing cuter than seeing little ones accompanying the bride as she walks down the aisle. Historically the flower girls would have scattered flower petals along the aisle ready for the bride to walk on. This is less popular in modern times, mainly due to the mess, however, letting them carry a basket of petals to scatter as confetti after the ceremony is a nice idea. Natural confetti works brilliantly on our terrace after your outdoor ceremony. We have seen some very proud flower girls here at Talhenbont who were over the moon because they aren’t dressed in the same shade as the bridesmaids. Instead they are in ivory “the same as the bride.”
The atmosphere as the “girls” are getting ready in the morning is wonderful. Talhenbont Hall’s bridal suite and bedrooms are the perfect place for pampering and fizz whilst getting ready. Seeing the little ones having their hair done and getting involved is a joy. We have even seen them in special robes given to them by the bride. What a great way to make them part of the big day!
We tend to see them on their best behaviour and even the tiny ones seem to understand that they have an important role to play and rise to the challenge. The “princess” dresses tend to be a bit of a mess by the end of the evening. Don’t be too precious about their gowns getting a few stains of covered in wedding cake. We have seen some stunning flower girl dresses from the high street by the likes of John Lewis and Monsoon. You don’t have to spend a fortune thereby allowing them to relax and have fun in the dress all day.
Page boys
Traditionally, page boys were appointed with carrying the train of the dress, however that is a role that bridesmaids have taken on. A page boy role is perfect for your offspring, nephews or cousins who you may want to play a role in your day, but are too young to join the main bridal party. Their role is probably less defined than a flower girl, but no less cute. The page boy will typically sport a dapper suit, waistcoat and shirt combo, a miniature version of the ushers, however, if you’re having a summer wedding, you might want him to wear shorts and something he will feel comfortable in. We’ve seen some trendy little page boys in a funky pair of Converse and long shots, enabling them to run and have fun once the serious part is over! You could even opt for a change of clothes for your page boy after the ceremony. Strawberry Children have a range of boy’s designer clothes that are more casual, but ensure he still looks smart as do John Lewis.
Ring bearers
The role and responsibility of a ring bearer has changed throughout the years. In modern weddings, the Best Man is in charge of looking after the rings, but we’re sure you’ll have seen viral videos of people involving their dogs carrying the rings on their collars. We’ve yet to see this at Talhenbont. Traditionally, however, the role of the ring bearer was carried out by a young boy who enters the venue before the bridal procession, carrying the rings on a cushion or in a trinket box. A ring bearer is the perfect role if the bride and groom have a child of their own who they want to play an important role in their ceremony.
Children at your Wedding
As we all know the behaviour of younger children can sometimes be a little unpredictable! It can be quite daunting for a young child to walk down the aisle in front of many people, so if you’d like one less thing to add to the stress of planning your big day, then ensuring they’re confident and comfortable is key. If your flower girl or page boy would prefer to walk down the aisle with an adult, why not ask one of your bridesmaids to accompany them? This also means that the adult they are paired with can help them out to a certain extent. You could also make a point of inviting them along to your dress or suit fittings beforehand, so they can meet other members of the bridal party too. It all adds to the sense of occasion and adds to the fun on the day itself.
If you are inviting children to be part of your wedding day and in the wider bridal party, it could mean making a few arrangements to make the day do smoothly. Cheeky Chilli, our event caterers will work out a specific simple children’s menu of favourites to keep them fed and watered. A little party bag of goodies to keep them busy during the wedding breakfast and speeches is also a lovely idea.
For those looking for assistance on the day itself, we work with the brilliant Wonderland Creche who provide first class wedding and event childcare. They can even provide care the day after in a brilliant “hang over” creche. They offer a range of activities including face painting, sweets trolleys, cocktail station, and arts and crafts. Don’t forget that the grounds at Talhenbont are also home to a our famous giant chessboard, the tennis court, Chinese Garden and the water garden. If you have childcare in place at the venue, all of this can be made use of! Talhenbont is the perfect venue for a wedding involving children as guests. Don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss this in more detail. Take a look at our Pinterest and You Tube channel for inspiration on how your wedding could look and how to involve the whole wedding party on your big day.
Did you invite children to be part of your wedding day? Let us know your tips for including children in your celebrations.
