NEED TO KNOW
- A couple set a strict child-free boundary for their wedding, but almost everyone brought their kids anyway
- As a result, children were running around, making messes and interrupting several wedding traditions
- Reddit users agreed that child-free boundaries are non-negotiable, and that children often don’t have fun at weddings anyway
A couple set a child-free wedding expectation — and almost no one abided.
In a post on Reddit’s wedding drama forum, a man recalled his first wedding, where he and the bride decided on a “no children under 18” rule. Despite the couple making their wishes very clear in the invitation, almost every guest who had young children brought them along.
The child-free directive was “almost universally ignored,” the man wrote. The children interrupted the reception, picked at the food — including the wedding cake — before it was time to eat, and upset several other wedding traditions.
Stock image of a child at a wedding.
Getty
“I’m certain that [the children] would have gotten into the alcohol, but the bartender was an off-duty cop friend who had a professional hard stare, and they steered clear,” the man wrote.
The children’s parents were simply socializing like normal, the man wrote, not supervising the kids at all. No one reached out before the wedding to ask for an exception to the no-child rule, the Reddit user claimed.
When the man remarried, he and his new bride were sure to be even firmer about the no children rule, and had the wedding party spread the word by mouth too. “No kids, no exceptions,” he recalled. In keeping with their decision, the couple opted not to have a ring bearer or a flower girl.
“Folks, take note: if the invitation says ‘no children,’ don’t assume that it doesn’t apply to you and your cute little woogums,” the man wrote. “Celebrants and wedding planners, take note: if they say ‘no kids,’ then be firm about it. Be rude if you have to.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Stock image of a child at a wedding.
Getty
People in the post’s comment section agreed that once the wedding couple sets a boundary like that, any respectful guest should abide by it. Others noted the couple who set the no-children boundary shouldn’t feel guilty whatsoever for rejecting a guest’s request for an exception. “It’s your day, do what you want!” one wrote.
Many others argued that weddings in general aren’t fun for kids. There are many rules — like during the ceremony or the first dance — and a lot of stretches in which they can’t be loud or rowdy. For the “exception” children, the wedding is even more boring, since there are few other kids there to play with.
