Dear OSB: How do I tell my wedding guests that we don’t want children at our wedding?

Okay, so there’s no denying it, this one is definitely a minefield because there is no proper way to tell adults that their children aren’t invited to your wedding.

We suggest addressing the invitation only to those invited, giving your guests plenty of time to find a babysitter, and using the term “No children please” on the invitation.

Once invitations have been sent, follow up by calling guests that have children and explaining your “no children policy”. You could say something along the lines of “We’ve just sent our wedding invitations and I just wanted to let you know that we’ve decided not to include young children. I wanted to tell you early so that you have time to find a babysitter. I hope you can make it, we would love to have you at our wedding.”

It’s then up to you whether or not you give your guests an explanation for the decision. If you decide to explain the decision away, here are a few ideas:

• Venue restrictions i.e. liquor license does not allow minors or due to venue space limitations you are unable to invite minors.

• Limited budget.

Lastly, remember that “no children means no children”! If you make an exception to the rule, keep in mind that you may just open the floodgates!

{Image via Bombaroos Boutique}