No-kid Rule Is Upsetting Too Many People

Nope, you're perfectly fine in your request. Your guests, however, are being completely ridiculous, rude and disrespectful. It's not THEIR wedding, it's yours. It's not a family reunion, it's your wedding. I dealt with this as well. It sucks, but they'll get over it.

If the kids' grandparents want to stay back at the hotel to provide childcare, then they can do just that. No skin off your nose. That goes to show their priority, then.

This is a hot button for me. I'm a parent and I never EVER assume my kid should be invited anywhere. Kids are unpredictable and don't understand etiquette. There are appropriate places for them, and not. And sometimes weddings are not appropriate places and that's ok! Any parent that thinks their child should be permitted everywhere needs to reevaluate their life.

I don't think you are being selfish at all. It is you/your FH's day - your rules. If other people don't like it, they don't have to come. My mom's side of the family is huge, and if we invited kids there would be abut 25-30 kids. My venue does not offer a kid's menu, so I'd have to pay adult prices for them! No way am I paying adult prices for kids that won't remember the day. In addition, I know how kids can be sometimes, and I don't want them running around and being crazy during the ceremony or reception.

I love kids, and I want kids of my own. However, even when I do have them, I would treat a wedding as a date night and not think twice about getting a sitter for them. With so much notice, they can certainly find a sitter for a night or two! Stand your ground - it is YOUR day, not theirs! Good luck!

You are definitely not as horrible as you are being made out to be. I personally wanted children at my wedding, however, that was MY wedding. Your wedding means your rules. If people are willing to miss your wedding because they don't want to pay a babysitter then unfortunately that is on them.

Not at all. It is your day and everyone should respect that. They have had plenty of time to find someone to watch the kids.

I totally agree, you're definitely giving them enough notice for them to be able to find a babysitter

You're definitely not being selfish and its your day not theirs....for them to even try and make you feel guilty that's being selfish on their part. They definitely have enough time to find a babysitter, I'm having a kids free wedding as well and I'm sorry whoever has a probably with that decision oh well they can stay home lol

We enforced this rule as well for our wedding. And certain family say that in 5 months they won't be able to find a sitter for a day or so...You are not in the wrong. If it wasn't this then there would be something else they wouldn't agree with. Make the day special for you and your FH. That's what truly matters.

Stand your ground. We are saying no kids since we don't have any of our own and honestly are not planning on it. Before we even made the decision the 2 members of our wedding party that have kids already said they are leaving them with a sitter. We understand it is expensive but then again it is our day.

No you are not horrible at all.

We are having a no kids wedding and our guests who are parents are excited about a kid-free date night with their spouses. Maybe framing it in that way (instead of "your kid is a terror") might help some guests get excited about leaving their kids with a sitter for the night. Every single wedding I have been to with kids, the parents end up wrangling their kids all night and rarely get to step away and have adult fun. We only have a handful of invited guests with young kids and we don't have any children we are close to, so making it a kids free wedding was important to us because we didn't want children as a distraction for anyone and want the focus to be where it should be, on our marriage and celebrating our wedding with those closest to us.

I have heard of some weddings where the couple hires people to basically offer childcare for wedding guests. Obviously this would depend on a lot of factors - your venue, when your wedding is, how many kids and what ages, etc - but maybe something to consider?

As long as you are okay with people not showing up because they don't want to leave their kids, I say there is no need to waiver on having a kid free wedding. You certainly aren't bad people for wanting an adults only event.

You are not awful or selfish or anything of the sort!!! it is perfectly fine to have an adult only wedding, I think that is best! I am sorry that people are making you feel this way but I hope you stick to your guns!

Your wedding, your choice. FWIW, we made the same decision and have been telling everyone "no kids" from the beginning. They're welcome to travel with you for the wedding (everyone is traveling to nearby city for the weekend of the wedding), but everyone with small kids has to make childcare arrangements for the duration of the ceremony/reception. So far, no one has really complained. Most of the people who have young kids are having their kids stay with other family (FH's brother for example is sending his kids to stay with his in-laws for the weekend, and another friend is making sure his ex-wife has their kids for that weekend). If that's what you want, stick to your guns. I suspect some of my family with older/teenaged kids will probably have their kids hang out in their hotels for the evening, if they don't trust them at home alone.

Not at all! This is your wedding and you are able to have all the things you want

You are not horrible! I am the same way. Stand your ground!!