Venetia Norrington
Table plan
A solid starter: go to Hobbycraft and stock up on pens, crayons, stickers, pipe cleaners - the works (but not glitter, never glitter) - for a creative kids' table. The trick is to set up specific tasks, rather than a free-for-all (fun for ten minutes, then a very messy and abandoned table). Have the tiddlers make cute congratulations cards and ask the older ones to design some props for the photo booth (moustaches on sticks are a sure-fire crowd-pleaser).
Photo ninjas
Handing over an expensive camera to an enthusiastic nipper requires a lot of trust - but it can make for brilliant photographs. Simply set the camera to auto and they'll feel like a grown up, while your guests' responses will be natural and welcoming at the sight of the tiny person behind the lens. The low perspective will also give the images a unique, reportage feel and they'll be able to weave among your guests swiftly and easily.
Blooming Photography
Let the games begin
Traditional board games are a good option - inexpensive and quiet. Although try to have an adult referee nearby making sure they all maintain interest and no arguments are started over whether it's up the snake and down the ladder or who owns what on Monopoly. For a modern twist, if your venue has a quiet side room, transform it into a movie theatre where you can screen their favourite films. Or create a fun, interactive games area: steer clear of 'Call of Duty', but group games like 'Guitar Hero' will go down a storm.
With a bit of advanced planning, outdoor and indoor games can be incorporated into every part of the day. During the post-ceremony drinks, garden games are a good option: giant Jenga; Connect Four; ring toss, or lawn darts. The wedding breakfast is another opportunity - it can take a long time to feed 100 people! - so give each table a few pots of Play-Doh and ask them to create their own miniature wedding cake or cute cake toppers of the bride and groom. As well as the fun of crafting, you could ask the kids to be on the judging panel, too!
Nova Photography
The professionals
Toddlers: your most challenging age group, they need watching all of the time. Older children, groomsmen and bridesmaids may be a good stopgap, but for a single day, go for a qualified OFSTED registered babysitter. They'll have a load of their own resources, and you can relax. Or if you want to go all-out, children's entertainers - clowns, face painters, balloon modellers and bouncy castles - can all bring an extra level of fun to the day, and will make for vibrant photographs.
Kevern Photography
Pack a punch
Start to finish, your wedding day can easily be more than 12 hours long, meaning the average three-year-old will have at least one meltdown during this time. So you need to have things ready for every stage of the day. As the longest sit-down period, the wedding breakfast may be the trickiest, so have a party pack and activity sheet ready for the moment they get to their seats. You can personalise these - a few clicks on Photoshop can turn a photo of the two of you into a picture for colouring, and you can create word searches and crosswords incorporating answers about the day. If you're brave enough for livelier entertainment, the party pack is also a good place to include joke gifts (whoopee cushions), or toys like bubbles and wind-up toy cars. It's also worth keeping a 'break glass in case of emergency' style activity for after dinner - something active, like a scavenger hunt around the garden (find a lady in a pink dress, a funny hat etc.) which is a good way to burn off that dessert and soft-drink-fuelled sugar high.
Ben Selway
So sweet!
And talking of sweets, for only the most intrepid of nuptial explorers - a child-friendly open bar will make little ones feel like grown-ups (you could always ask any pre-teens to man it for you). You can hire vintage-style carts or just use a small table, then stock it with jars full of sweets as well as cocktail-style soft drinks complete with umbrellas and fun drinks stirrers. But make sure it closes well before the end of the evening: after all that sugar they need time to burn it off before bed!
Up in the air
Throwing confetti may be fun but it's far too short-lived. So for something with more longevity, try a bubble machine. It will add to the magical ambience of the day and create some beautiful photographs, all while keeping the kids happy as they chase the bubbles back and forth. If you're hiring a videographer (or you have any technophile friends), you could also see if they have access to a drone. As well as capturing some amazing aerial footage, children will love to watch them, and they also get to show off for the flying camera!
Kirstin Prisk
Party time
After sitting still (hopefully!) for the wedding breakfast, ask the DJ to schedule a kids-only dance floor time in-between dessert and the first dance. 'Gangnam Style' and Frozen's 'Let It Go' should entice the under-10s on to the floor for a final burst of energy. A wedding pi�ata in the corner of the dance floor also has the added bonus of being physically exhausting!
And finally, ask your videographer to set up a side room where the children can go to offer some hilarious well wishes for the bride and groom. Scheduled towards the end of the evening, it should act as a wind down after the day's excitement and should be a sweet and sentimental note on which to end your day.
Kevern Photography
words Christopher Wasey
Copyright Wed magazine 2015
