Kids tables at weddings: when and how
A kids table can be the best table at the wedding or a source of noise and worried parents. Whether it works depends on the ages, the number of kids and how close the parents are.
When it makes sense
- There are several children, enough to be company for each other.
- They are roughly the same age, old enough to sit through dinner without a parent beside them (often from about five or six, but you know the children).
- The parents are seated nearby, ideally within sight.
When it does not
- There are only one or two children: seat them with their family.
- The children are babies or toddlers: they stay with their parents, with space for a high chair.
- The ages are far apart: a teenager at a table of six-year-olds will feel babysat.
Teenagers
Older kids and teens often prefer a table of their own near the young adults, or seats with their family. Ask them; they will tell you.
Where to put it
Close to the parents' tables, away from the speakers and the cake, and with an easy route to the restrooms. Avoid the edge of the dance floor if the dinner runs long and the tables are close.
Make it work
- Serve them early and simply. Ask the caterer for a kids menu.
- Put something on the table: coloring sheets, small games, a disposable camera.
- Ask an older teen or a sitter to keep an eye on it, especially during speeches.
- Mark it on the plan so the caterer knows how many kids meals go where.
Make the chart
In Wedtide, mark a child with "(kid)" in your list, as in "Mia (kid)". Children sit with their family by default; pick a style with a kids table (the Latin American style) and they are seated together instead. Either way you can move anyone by hand. Free, no account.