How To Put Adults Only On Your Wedding Invitations
put words Adults only on your wedding invitations
The words No children, please in your invitation would let everybody know, what kind of wedding you have. But think of sensitive guests, who can bristle up as they read the note. That’s why you need other words, that let everybody know, whom you invite or not.
Don’t address your wedding invitations to the whole family, otherwise the guests will think, that it’s the invitation for the whole family. Instead of this write Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and make sure that your text has no hints about kinds at your wedding. Writing it is the hardest thing, but it’s the only way to go.
In most cases your guests should understand your intentions and RSVP for themselves only. However, there is always someone who RSVP for the whole family. In this case you have to call them and explain, why their children can’t come. Yes, it’s hard, but every bride has to go through it. Explain the guests that their children can’t come due to budget constrains. Even if it’s not true, stick to this reason, because it’s the most understandable excuse that you can find. Be ready, that your words will upset the guests, however, be firm and don’t make any exceptions, even for your favorite niece. If your guests see children at your wedding, they might think, that you actually picked up the kids, who should be invited!
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Don’t Make It An Adults
While you can have children in your wedding party and still have an adults-only reception, be mindful not to bend the rules for other people with children. If you let some guests bring their families and not others, it might look like you hand selected which children were and weren’t invitedâwhich could lead to a pretty uncomfortable situation. Inviting all children only to the ceremony probably won’t work either, since they might get upset having to say good-bye to their parents or if they see other guests going to the party when they have to go home.
Validate The Number Of Guests Once Rsvps Come In
A few weeks before the wedding, it may be a good idea to send a reminder to everyone who has sent their RSVPs. This is to see if changes need to be made, such as a guest having to miss the wedding because of an important appointment. This may open the door for another guest who wanted to attend the wedding but originally could not go.
You will also need the final headcount for wedding-related services such as ushers and caterers.
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Following Up On Rsvps
Usually, RSVPs come with a reply by date. It is possible that not everyone will be punctual in their response. It is best to leave around a week of allowance before politely following up with your guests.
Some may have simply forgotten to respond, or the reply by date slipped their mind some may be having reservations about those included in the invitation. Regardless, you must hear them out and respect their decision.
Do Call Any Guests Who Assume Their Children Are Invited
The Knot: Hearing from family members who are questioning why your younger cousins, nieces and nephews arent allowed to come is normal. Address the sensitive issue right away by calling and explaining that you cant invite everyone youd like. You can blame it on the budget constraints which often wards off further protests and avoids hurt feelings. But remember, you dont have to give a lengthy explanation and can simply say that an adults-only wedding is a decision that youve made and leave it at that. You arent going to please everyone, and thats okay. Having or not having children at your wedding is a personal decision and one you and your partner made together, Karson and Butler say.
My Take: Yes, take the time to call and let them know where you are at and be a good listener too.
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Should You Print Adults Only On The Invitation
The Knot: You shouldnt feel guilty for not wanting children at your wedding. But take that extra step to specify that your wedding is adults only by writing it front and center on the invitation and feelings will get hurt for such a head-on approach. Having a child-free wedding can be a very sensitive issue to some, especially for out-of-town family members and close friends. For a more tactful take, have family, wedding party members and friends spread the word to guests so they have lots of time to secure a babysitter.
My Take: I disagree. At the bottom of your wedding invitation it should let guests know several things.
-That there is a reception to follow-That the wedding is adults only -What the wedding attire is
That being said, if you have an additional insert in your wedding invitation suite, you can add it there instead but it does need to be present somewhere on the invitations. Please dont expect your family or friends to call all your guests with children to explain your wedding is adults only.
Dont Print Adults Only On The Invitations
You shouldnt feel guilty for keeping your wedding a kid-free zone, but its not polite to specify your wishes front and centre on the invitations. Doing that is the easiest way to ruffle feathers. Having a child-free wedding can be a sensitive issue for some guests, especially out-of-town family members and close friends with little ones. For a more diplomatic approach, have your family, wedding party members, and friends spread the word to guests by word of mouth, so they have lots of time to secure a babysitter.
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Plan Two Separate Guest Lists
You’ll need to plan two separate guests lists: one for the wedding ceremony and reception, and one for only the reception. You can make the ceremony and reception guest list as small as you wish, whether its just your immediate family members or a group of 30 of your very closest family members and friends. You could have the ceremony in a church, at your reception venue, or with only the necessary witnesses in city hall. As long as everyone who gets a ceremony invitation is also included in the reception, youre golden!
What To Say When You Want To Keep It Simple
We are sorry that we are unable to accommodate children at our wedding.
We would like our special day to be an adult-only occasion.
Please be aware that this will be an adults-only wedding.
We are unable to invite children to our wedding. We hope that the advance notice means you are still able to attend.
We are delighted to welcome children to the ceremony and early reception. However, from XXpm onwards, the wedding will be adults only. Optional extra: We will be providing a creche, please see our wedding website for further details.
We respectfully request that under-18s do not attend the reception.
Children outside the bridal party are not invited for the ceremony, but are welcome for the reception.
We would like our special day to be an adult-only occasion, however we would like to open the invite up to your children at the evening reception at XXpm.
Following the ceremony and drinks reception, please join us for an adults-only reception at XXpm.
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Inform Close Family Members Of This Policy
Make sure your immediate families know of your no-kids at wedding policy as soon as youve made the decision so that they can share that information with anyone theyve invited. If you have friends that have kids, be proactive and have the conversation with them early on that unfortunately they wont be able to bring their kids, says Weinberg. Give them as much time as possible to make arrangements for childcare.
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Do Feel Free To Put A Note On Your Wedding Website
The Knot: Your wedding website is a place to put catchall information about your wedding, like your registries, transportation options, dress code and other pertinent items you wouldnt necessarily share on your formal invitation. This is an appropriate place to also mention that your wedding ceremony and reception are adults only and recommend any babysitting options in the area.
My Take: I wholeheartedly agree. A well oiled wedding website with all the pertinent information for guests like childcare, high altitude awareness, hotel blocks, other weekend activities is key. Modern wedding websites even have apps and other very useful technology to keep guests informed and excited about your pending nuptials.
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Is It Rude To Have An Adults Only Wedding
Its not rude to have an adult reception. However, you have to be prepared that some OOT guests will choose note to attend since it makes child care arrangements difficult for them. There is no polite way to explicitly say it on the invites. Do not put Adult Reception or Adults Only on the invitation.
Be Considerate To Out
With out-of-town guests, avoid any hurt feelings about your adults-only wedding by offering to accommodate their children.
For example, you can offer a trusted caregiver to watch over the little ones for your immediate family members and wedding party.
While its a way to communicate that no kids are allowed, youre making things simple on adults who may be traveling or who need to stay close to their little ones.
Offering a babysitter whos close by in an extra room at the venue or in a hotel room if your adult reception is in the ballroom will put minds at ease.
You can also be considerate by allowing children to attend the rehearsal dinner. Of course, the formality of your pre-wedding events may not allow for it.
But if you opt for an outdoor barbecue or casual shin-dig, itll make the kids feel more involved and make it easier for the parents to leave them for a few hours on the wedding day.
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For Guests Who Ask For An Exception
If a guest explains that there is no option to leave the kids home, Swann recommends being firm but compassionate in your approach.
“In this particular instance, you would not be able to bring little Johnny as we are requesting for this to be an adult-only occasion. Wed love to have you there, but we are not going to have children.’“
Polite Wedding Rsvp Wording For Limited Guests
Weddings are a celebration of two people and two families coming together. From planning to the reception, couples surround themselves with the people they trust and love to mark the start of a new stage in their lives.
There are multiple reasons why a couple may choose to have a smaller guest count. Whether it be because of budgetary constraints, venue restrictions, or a preference for an intimate ceremony, there are polite ways and alternative methods to let your friends and family know that there will be limited guests.
You may use one of the listed statements below when announcing that your wedding will have limited guests. Other methods are also provided. Lastly, tips in announcing this limitation and dealing with guests are also given.
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Stick To Your Guns About Who Is Invited And Who Isn’t
Once the RSVPs start trickling in, stick to your guns: Some guests may try to pressure you into inviting them to the ceremony also. But if you make one exception, you’ll invariably have to make another one. So stay strong and don’t go back on your original decision. Just be sure to convey how excited you are to party with them at the reception!
How Do You Say No To A Plus One On The Wedding Invitation
You can also try these wordings and write them on the wedding invitation or RSVP card:
- We cannot allow extra guests due to our budget restrictions
- Please restrict the attendee to that listed on the wedding invitation
- We are looking forward to having an intimate wedding with those who are genuinely close to us we hope you understand that we wont allow our guests to bring anyone we did not invite
You can also reassure your guests that you will seat them with people they know. Some couples might also plan to have another celebration to separate with more people.
The guests should understand that you are restricted with resources or want a small wedding. You can also ask your friends and family to spread the word and have someone the guests can ask if theyre planning to bring a plus one.
There will be no misunderstandings this way, and you wont risk offending anyone. So do not worry, and dont feel pressured to conform, even if other people convince you to hold a bigger wedding to accommodate their extra guests.
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Note: Make Optional Calls
Before sending invitations call your friends and relatives who you think might not really like the idea of giving child-free wedding invitation! Just calmly tell them the reason behind it so that they wont mind at all and understand your point of view.
Click to learn more etiquettes for an adult-only wedding from the Knot.
Hazel
How To Say No Kids In The Wedding Invitation
If youre in need of some tips on how to say no kids on a wedding invitation, youve come to the right place. Keep reading to find out more.
There are plenty of decisions to be made when it comes to your wedding day, but who is and isn’t on the guestlist can be one of the big ones. Whether you’re keeping the wedding guest count small, or your venue has an adult-only policy, figuring out how to notify your guests of your child-free wedding can be emotionally taxing, awkward, and anxiety-inducing.
Parents can take their children’s lack of inclusion personally, and sometimes, the circumstances don’t work out in your favor. But remember: It’s your big day, which means you’re in charge of who you want in attendance. To help quell your anxiety, heres everything you need to know about approaching the situation:
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If There Are Special Circumstances
Lets face it, not everything is black and white, and some cases may actually warrant a second look. Maybe a guest you originally didnt extend a plus-one to got engaged after your invitations went out. In these scenarios, its best to call or send a thoughtful text to let them know their nearly-wed partner is also invited.
Or, maybe a friend has recently become much more serious with their partner and youve begun to spend more time with the couple. If your wedding guest asks politely if they can bring their SO, use your best judgment.
