Written by Brandee Gaar,

Owner of Blush by Brandee Gaar

So many of our brides struggle with this decision.  You don’t want over tired kids crying all night or sugared up children taking over the dance floor but more often than not, the subject of a kid-free wedding can turn sour quickly.  Here are some tips on how to deal with this from several angles…

If you truly don’t want to have kids at the wedding, near the wedding or in the same facility…

Be clear about it on your invitations.  A great way to word your invite is to put a line on the bottom “Adult Reception to Follow”.   Also, don’t forget to address the invites specifically to the people invited.  Ie.  Mr. and Mrs. John Smith instead of The Smith Family.  Undoubtedly there is always one RSVP card that still adds a child in and the best thing to do is simply call the guest and explain that children are not invited.  Always tricky but a phone call is the most polite avenue as email can sometimes be taken in the wrong tone.

If you have several out of town guests with children, asking them not to attend is difficult as they will likely travel with their parents to the event location and the parents may be stuck without a sitter.  In this case, you have to be very tender with the subject of children attending the wedding.  2 Options we suggest…

Hire an Event Sitting Company!  We do this often and it is such a great way to entertain the kids in a separate room and allow parents to enjoy an evening off!  Get a small banquet room near the reception room, hire a sitting service that handles large groups (we recommend Super Sitters, Inc.) and you’re done!  The sitting service will provide games, crafts, activities, etc… for the children.  They have tight security and are licensed and bonded to ensure a safe, fun night for all!  You can even add things like a face painter, clown, magician, etc…  The kids will love it and the parents will too!

Keep the kids entertained at the event!  So the kids are attending the reception and you’ve decided you’re okay with this but you still don’t want them running crazy!  Here are some suggestions to keep them busy and having fun throughout the night…Create a “Kids Only” table.  Cover it in butcher paper and put colorful buckets (in your wedding colors of course) in the middle of the table and fill with kid-friendly items such as crayons, colored pencils, stickers, markers, etc…so they can decorate their table.  Another option is to fill the buckets with different candies and snacks such as lollipops, goldfish, gummies, M&Ms, etc…  You can also make personalized buckets for each child to include a coloring book, stickers, word search, etc…  This will keep them busy all night!  Just remember not to put anything in the buckets that will stain (paint, glitter, or red juice).  For older children (too old to color but too young to enjoy the bar), make a camera scavenger hunt for them!  Give each of them a camera and a list of things to take pictures of such as A Woman Not Wearing Shoes or The Bride Dancing, etc…  This will be fun for them and keep them occupied most of the night!  It may also give you some really fun pictures to remember your big day!

If you do decide to have children at the wedding, also remember these few tips:

Order children under 10 years of age a kids meal.  They will enjoy it more and they are less expensive!

Make sure to ask your DJ to announce that the garter/bouquet toss is for all single adults ages 18 and up!  Having a 4 year old catch the bouquet is not always as cute as it soundsJ  If you are going to have a lot of children, you can add a Teddy Bear Toss right after the garter/bouquet ceremony.  The bride can toss a bear for kids only and whoever catches it gets to keep it!

Whatever you decide, the most important piece of advice I can give is to stick to your decision 100%.  Don’t let Aunt Sally bring her 3 kids because she caused a stink about it but not let anyone else.  This will lead to hurt feelings on the event night.  And overall, be understanding.  Kids can be annoying when they aren’t yours but they are still little angels to their parents (your friends/family) so tread lightly and keep it upbeat!  Most of your guests will be excited either way just to celebrate with you!!

Written by Brandee Gaar,

Owner of Blush by Brandee Gaar

Accessories

accessory [əkˈsɛsərɪ]

n pl -ries

1.     a supplementary part or object

So you’ve got the ring, the date (or at least a preferred season) and now it’s time to start planning!  But how do you make it your own?  What traditions do you keep and which ones just don’t quite fit your big day?  Do you stick with the trends you love or become a trendsetter?  Every week I’ll share my thoughts on an ACCESSORY for your wedding…food, music, hot trends, honeymoons, do it yourself projects and more.  If it will ACCESSORIZE your big day, I’ll write about it!

Placecards.  Escort Cards.  Table Cards.  What are they and how can they be unique?  First, what are they?  Escort Cards or Table Cards are cards that have the guests name and table number written on them.  They are often found in the cocktail hour or in the pre-function space of the reception location just

before guests enter.  These can be formal (Mr. and Mrs. Ira Gaar) or more casual (Ira and Brandee Gaar)…the formality of your wedding overall should dictate.  From there, you have 2 choices.  You can either just assign guests to a table and let them choose where to sit at that table or you can add placecards.  Placecards are cards at each individual seat or place at a table which indicate where each guest will sit.  Placecards are usually less formal (Ira Gaar or just Ira. 

Now let’s discuss how to make them memorable!  Instead of using just every day cards, think about attaching a tag to your favors with guests names on them. I love accessories that have “double-duty”!  Or incorporate your theme.  Having a fall wedding?  Try pinning cute tags to miniature gourds or pumpkins.  A beach theme?  Write guests names on Sanddollars and display them in trays of sand (wanna get even more unique…collect the sand from your favorite beach and create a little sign letting guests know where it’s from!).  If you don’t have a theme but still want to do something cute, try small boxes with guests name and table numbers written on the top.  Inside, put an edible treat such as Jordan almonds or a single truffle and a note from the newlyweds.  And my very favorite idea for a placecard (especially since many of today’s brides grew up in the 80’s and 90’s) is Cootie Catchers!!  You can put the guests name and table number on 2 of the outer flaps and your names and wedding date on the other 2.  Inside, have fun making up fortunes and dares for guests to enjoy such as “Ask the Bride to Dance” or “You will live happily ever after”.  It’s a great ice breaker and guests have a TON of fun playing with them all night!  Whatever your fancy…make it your own!

The Orlando Wedding Professionals website also provides information about our upcoming bridal shows in Orlando and Lake County Florida. We market our events through Clear Channel radio, the Knot and email blasts. We have produced shows in the Altamonte Springs at Cranes Roost Park, Hilton Orlando, Sheraton Downtown Orlando, Mission Inn and coming up the Rosen Plaza on International Drive by Universal Studios, Sea World, Wet n Wild, Disney World and other Orlando attractions.

The Orlando Wedding Professionals website also provides information about the Orlando Wedding Professionals Bridal Publication. This bridal directory is rapidly becoming known as “THE” resource that brides are using to locate professional and ethical wedding vendors. This bridal directory is located in approximately 200 distribution locations. Some of these locations are the Rosen Shingle Creek, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate, Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa at Walt Disney World, Celebration Hotel, Grand Bohemian Downtown Orlando, Bay Hill Country Club, Journeys Restaurant at Alaqua Country Club, Paradise Cove at Buena Vista Watersports, Winter Park Civic Center and Harmony Golf Preserve in Saint Cloud. Orlando Wedding Professionals Bridal Directory is also located in the bridal gift registries such as Macy’s in Central Florida, Dillard’s Department stores in Central Florida and Bloomingdales in the Mall at Millenia. Don’t forget all the Central Florida bridal attire shops.

Not only does this directory provide you with a phenomenal selection of wedding professionals but it also helps you after you say the words “I Do”. The Orlando Wedding Professionals is pleased to announce the newest feature in our Bridal Directory, the Special Events Index. This index provides you with additional information about our advertisers. Not only do they specialize in weddings but they can also provide services for events such as Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, Indian Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Sweet 16 Parties, Birthday Parties, Cotillions, Corporate Events, Themed Events, Holiday Events, Anniversary Parties, Proms and any other special events. This Special Events Index makes the Orlando Wedding Professionals Bridal Directory the best all around local resource for planning an event.  The Orlando Wedding Professionals are seeking support from the Jewish / Synagogues / Rabbis, Latin / Spanish Community, Indian / Indian Weddings Community and the lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender communities.

Last but not least, the Orlando Wedding Professionals Bridal Directory hosts the largest industry events in Central Florida. These events are referred to as the Grand Soiree and are very well attended. The new Orlando Wedding Professionals website will provide our vendors with update information regarding upcoming and past events. The Westin Lake Mary Orlando North was the most recent event. Other locations have been the Hilton Orlando on International Drive, The Global Gallery Downtown Orlando and Isleworth Country Club.

• Meet 60+ Wedding Professionals featuring Orlando DJ’s, Orlando photographers, Orlando videography, Orlando Cakes, Orlando Ceremony & Reception Locations, Orlando Bridal Attire, Orlando Florists, Orlando Wedding Planners and many others.
• Every bride has a chance to win thousands of dollars in wonderful gifts, compliments of our bridal experts.
• High energy themed fashion show featuring today’s hottest bridal attire!
• Enjoy menu & cake sampling
• Plus so much more!

More information will be available at OrlandoWeddingProfessionals.com starting June 5th. The Orlando Wedding Professionals site is currently being rebuilt and won’t be complete till that date.