First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Well… not always, and not for me. We got paper married during COVID and weren’t able to have a wedding until last October, 5 years later. By that point, I had given birth to my two wonderful babies, which took priority due to my “Advanced Maternal Age”. When we had our wedding, my toddler was 2.5, and my baby was 6 months old. The challenge was: how do I plan a wedding while considering my kids? Here are a few tips and things I learned along the way.
Start planning early
Doing anything with young kids is difficult, so giving yourself ample time to organize your plans will always be more helpful than rushing at the last minute.
Decide How to Include the Kids
Consider how your kids will be involved in the wedding. My daughter was 2.5, the cutest age for a flower girl; my son, on the other hand, was 6 months old and a little too young to really be involved. If he were a little older, then he would have made the cutest ring bearer.
Designate Childcare
Assign someone to be in charge of your kids, either separately or together. As a bride, you will be busy enough on the day, and it will be difficult for you to get a wedding together, get yourself all dolled up, and get the kids dressed and napped on time. Hubby will also have more than enough going on and might not remember to bring that baby blanket.
Child Activities
Consider what entertainment and activities are available for your kids. Baby boy was happily passed around among the family, but an active 2.5-year-old is another matter. Thankfully, my girl was a champ and wanted to be involved in everything, stealing the limelight with her charisma and taking my speech moment away from me. We also had some giant Jenga that kept her entertained, too. Think about whatever crafts and coloring your older kids might like to participate in.
Timing Naps
Can you delay nap time? Or put them down a little earlier in the day? If your little one is flexible with sleep, that’s great. If not, perhaps bringing a pack-and-play to place in the corner of the room or a “bride’s room” would give bub a place to sleep. Tag team with family members to watch over them. This also doubles as a little downtime for any family and friends who need a little break from the social proclivities and dancing.
Nursing Friendly Wedding Dress
Breastfeeding in a wedding dress isn’t always easy, so you might want to think about if you will still be nursing at the time of your wedding and take that into account when trying on wedding dresses. A zip up the back is definitely the easiest, and maybe try steer clear of the tiny little buttons up the back. I can tell you my Maid-of-Honor did not enjoy those fiddly little things.
Delegate
If you are lucky enough to have a village around you, see who is interested in helping you plan the wedding. If you have a hands-on man, even better! He can be involved in his own wedding! Anything that takes something off your plate is going to be so helpful as a mom-bride.
Planning a wedding and being a mom of young ones are two of the hardest things you could do. Did you also combine the two into one magical, stressful day? If so, what tips would you add to help another mom-bride out?
