Do people feel that they HAVE to bring their kids to a wedding, even if they ARE invited?

This isn't your issue to deal with.

Just invite everyone if they truly are invited. Let the parents worry about who to bring. They know they don't "have to" do anything. Chances are, that if they must leave the state or country, they will bring their children.

First of all, a wedding invitation is just an invitation, not a summons.

The couple that receives the invitation may or may not decide to attend, especially since it is a destination wedding.

Knowing all of that, look at it this way.

You address the invitation to the parents & child. They parents realize instantly that the child is invited. They choose whether or not they want to trip away with or without the child. You are not summonsing that child. It is simply invited.

If you are inviting the whole family

Smith Family will be how you make the invitation out

If you are inviting only a few (like you are not inviting anyone under 10)

Robert, Jane, John, Jill and Renee

If my child is listed on the invitation, I would bring her, feel I should

IF my child was not invited, I would see it as a day off, and will be glad to leave her and relax for the reception. Bring children, the parents need to watch their children

No one 'has to come' when invited to a wedding and all the guests invited on a single invitation do not HAVE to come...most RSVP cards have a spot where you fill out who among the ones invited will come and/or how many will come.

So if you wish them to have the option, address it as Mr and Mrs and Family/Children. Only those whose names appear on an invite have the option of coming...or not coming. The entire family may come if invited, or only the parents if the parents choose.

Edit: response cards for weddings were around when my first marriage occured in 1974...that is NOT a recent 'innovation' and only lazy people resent having to send them...BTW, my mother used response cards when she married in 1950, and that's about 63 YEARS ago.....just saying.

Hi Kinsey!

In your "RSVP by" section you can add a note saying "please let us know if any children are attending as well".

The other alternative is to only address to the parents, and follow up with a phone call after the invitation has been sent out to ask whether their children will be attending.

In most cases, the parents will know whether their children can attend a full wedding without any issues. They won't ever feel obligated to bring them along!

Best of luck!

I suppose every baby is specific and every wedding is exclusive. It is a combination of how accomodating the couple is and how well behaved your youngster is. Additionally, are there buddies/loved ones who will likely be there that will take your little one off your arms for a bit of at the same time is an additional factor (will your Aunt love to seat Alex on her lap and entertain him so which you could consume your dinner -- or is this a pals marriage ceremony and your family is not going to be there?). I've noticeable some well-behaved 3 year olds and out of manage 9 yr olds at weddings. I fairly went out of my strategy to have events for the children (puzzles, video games, coloring, even some snap-together crafts), I even allow them to make requests of the dj that I didn't like (the hokey pokey) so they weren't fully bored out of their minds the entire night time. I had kids from age 1 to 9 at my marriage ceremony and all heck didn't destroy loose, the mom and dad had a first-rate time, and plenty of little one-loving adults whose kids were grown took a turn dancing or interesting the kids (all voluntarily) so the dad and mom would devour or have a dance collectively or anything. If this is your buddies marriage ceremony, i would inquire about how much movements there will likely be for the children before deciding your child must or mustn't go.

"We are happy for Little Johnny to join you if you wish" is serious overkill, and will just come off as awkward. No invitation is a summons, so the parents will make the right decision for them about bringing little Johnny or finding a sitter.

No, one is not obligated to come to a wedding, simply because they've been invited. If you want the whole family there, then address the invitation to "The [Last Name] Family". That includes everyone in the invite. On the reply card, leave a blank for them to fill in the number of people attending.

We had a children at our wedding and it was wonderful! Everyone in my family that I invited who had children were so happy that their kids were invited. I had so many thank you's from family members. They knew how much I loved children and it really touched my heart. One family member of mine thought it was so cool that invited his 1 year old son. I was the only person in my family who got married and invited children to the wedding. Other family members of mine who got married had no kids at the wedding.

If a person is invited to your wedding and they don't want to invite their kids they will let you know that their kids won't be coming. On the response card it will just have the adults names. Honestly, most people who see that their kids are invited to a wedding will invite their kids. The kids at my wedding had so much fun!! I had babies at the wedding. At one point during dancing all you saw on the dance floor were kids and babies with adults. It was so sweet!

Parents who see that their kids are invited to a wedding won't feel obligated to bring their kid. When a childs name is not written on the invitation, the parents won't even care that their kid is not invited. When we invited children to our wedding we only invited the children from our immediate family. Everyone at our wedding was happy!!!

People know that they don't have to accept an invitation to a wedding, or any event.

If the parents feel like having childless fun, they will.