Babies at kid free wedding?

I definitely think it depends on who has the kids and their relationship with you and understanding towards the thought. I've known a few people who have done that and it's caused problems and quite a few people didn't show up because of word of mouth.

If also address their last name and then family...so in my case it would be Roberts Family.

I think the potential for a mixed message is there. I think with the whole BFE trend and "mother's" rights is confusing as well. I would not want a baby exposed to smoking and all the germs. I think you should invite them but anticipate their not being there.

If the babies aren't born yet (which it sounds like), I would just address it to the current couple and then let them make their decision or reach out to you if they need to bring the baby.

For my wedding, I am only allowing family to bring children under the age of 12. Thankfully, that is only 3 cousins of mine, and I have also let my family know they are welcome to come, but they will be the only kiddos attending, and have left it up to them on what they want to do. As far as baby babies... My MOH will have a newborn by that point, and if they aren't going to be counted by a caterer for food purposes, I would let your guest bring them.

Most people understand the newborns are an exception to the "no kid" rule. I think it's fine.

For the STDs, just address them to the couple since babies aren't born yet.

Newborns or any child who would not eat an adult meal is generally seen to be an exception to the no children rule. My cousin will have a one year old at our wedding and if she brings the baby (since they are coming from out of state) it doesn't matter too much to us as it wont count as an additional "seat"

People may be offended, I get it though, babies are less destructive than kids...

Regardless of whether the infant comes of you know that the mother is nursing try to make sure there is a place for her to pump even it it's a handicap accessible bathroom stall because full boobs are painful and leaking is embarrassing.

Personally, we are only inviting our baby nieces to the wedding. I have one other friend that lives out of state that JUST had twins and honestly, if it was between her coming with them or not coming at all, I would rather have her come and bring them. I have a few other friends that will have children under 12 months and have spoken to them already, and they are able to make accommodations to come without them. Everybody else has children that are older (at least 5) and will only be invited as a couple. Its up to them to come without their children or opt out, but I thought it was reasonable to accommodate the moms with young babies. We will also have a room setup for the Mom's to breastfeed or put their baby down for a bit if need be.

IMO: if the baby will be under 6 months, definitely okay to have them whether or not they're being breastfed. 6-9 months is typically when solids are introduced, but if a baby is still exclusively breastfed then they need to be allowed.

I personally don't think it's appropriate to bring a newborn at a wedding. EVER--and if you're having a kid-free wedding, it is appropriate to not include them. As a bride & groom, it is your right to choose to have children or don't and for your guests to respect your wishes. Pretty much whatever the bride and groom want, their guests should honor their wishes and not assume it's okay to bring their baby. A baby is a child and I personally don't really care for the idea of ANY children at weddings. And LibbyLane, a child does not NEED to be allowed just because the mother chose to breastfeed. The bride and groom have a right to their day, and if you can't respect their wishes, you shouldn't be attending.

I have had a few people ask this question about our wedding. I let them know that the only child is going to be my FHs only nephew who is going to be our ring barer. When people contact me and I say its adults only, they seem to be fine with it.

In reality, there's going to be a lot of loud sounds, drunk people, and crazy music going on for hours... not the place I would take my child.

At our venue, the only exceptions to seating/occupancy limits were newborns worn in a sling. Everyone else needed a place at the table, a chair cover, 1/8 the cost of a centerpiece and 1/8 the table decor rentals, et. I extended the invitation to a guest with a 2.5 month old, as an exception (we went 21 and up) and they still declined the invitation (and the mother went back to work full time at 6 weeks).

We were invited to 5 weddings, while our baby was 2-11 months old and she wasn't invited to, nor attended any of them, including her uncle's. And yes, I breastfed, but we managed and she didn't starve. If she had attended the one at 2 months, I would have had to leave very early with her, since the band was brain-exploding loud.

Our toddler is asleep and in bed at 8:00 PM. Most weddings around here start at 6:00, so we'd never consider taking her, just to leave and miss the entrée and dessert courses, post dinner food, and 3 hours of open bar and dancing, that the bride and groom paid for.

I love you child free wedding posts Dreamer.

So should I invite the babies as a polite gesture, or just invite the couples and wait to see if they ask me if they can bring the baby if that's something they wish to do?

Thanks @Natalie. It's the reason why I joined this board. My family has been hosting adult weddings since my Mom was a kid - the late 1960s. I'll never understand why it's such a foreign concept, to some?

Depending on how old their infant is and how far along in the post-partum recovery process they are, they may decline anyway. Its not safe to bring a newborn around a bunch of strangers at only a few weeks old, most band/DJ music is too loud for sensitive baby eardrums without noise-canceling headphones, mom will likely still be bleeding, recovering from stitches, etc. I don't think you need to make exceptions. One of the things about choosing to have a kid is making sacrifices like -- you may not be able to attend a wedding.

We're limiting the number of children in our wedding also... only a few are invited (all family, and our godson and goddaughter who'll be RB/FG) but in the process we've had 2 cousins pregnant (one will be 5 months old and the other 3 by the time of our wedding) and 3 of our closest friends are also pregnant still, and they will be having the option of bringing their babies (special situation with the lactation and all)

I personally don't think there should be exceptions to a kid free wedding, but that's just me.

This is really your personal choice. I am only allowing my nieces/nephews. If one of my cousins has a newborn I may consider an exception for them as well otherwise I will not allow exceptions. It has a lot to do with your relationship with the person. Also I believe in just having the conversation so I would personally call each person when you send out invites to explain that they are able to bring their baby (if they decide so) and explain you are making an exception (so that they don't tell others it's okay to bring their kids). Maybe discuss if you need extra seats or anything as well. Also I would find out info on the ceremony and reception venue like is there somewhere comfortable to breast feed? Place to walk away if the baby is crying? You can offer up your bridal suite possibly... there's a lot to consider...