Baby at a Wedding? Naps, Noise and Toddler Tips for Parents

Taking a baby or toddler to a wedding? You can still see the vows, eat your dinner while it is hot and maybe even dance. Having a baby at a wedding is very doable with a little planning, a well packed bag and somewhere calm for your little one when the music gets loud. Here is the advice we give parents at Happy Little Guests, the pop-up event crèche that looks after babies, toddlers and older children at weddings across the Midlands.

Charlotte, who plans every booking, has spent nearly a decade in private nurseries and primary schools, and the same few things make a long day work for babies and their parents: protecting sleep, keeping some of the familiar routine, and giving parents a break they can actually relax into.

How do you plan for a baby at a wedding?

Most of the hard work happens before the day.

Talk to the couple first

Check that your baby is invited. Some couples welcome babies in arms but would rather keep the ceremony or the evening for adults, and it is kinder to ask than to guess. Ask, too, whether the couple has booked a wedding crèche or a wedding nanny, because that shapes your whole day.

Look at the timings and plan naps

Ask for the order of the day early. A typical UK wedding runs from an afternoon ceremony, through drinks and photographs, into the wedding breakfast and speeches, then on to an evening reception and first dance. That is a long stretch for someone who usually sleeps twice before teatime.

Hold the timings up against your baby's usual day. If a nap would land in the middle of the vows, nudge it earlier with a walk round the grounds in the pushchair. If your toddler naps after lunch, the wedding breakfast is often the best window. Our child-friendly wedding timeline shows how to plan the day around naps, from the vows to the first dance.

Ask the venue about a quiet room

Many venues have a snug, a library or a side room that sits empty for much of the day. Ask, well before the wedding, whether there is somewhere you can feed, change or settle your baby away from the crowd, and where the baby changing facilities are. If you are staying over, ask the hotel about a travel cot when you book the room, rather than on the night.

Dress them at the venue

Travel in comfy clothes and change your baby or toddler into their wedding outfit after you arrive. A car seat, a feed and a nappy change are three good chances to ruin a tiny waistcoat, and a fresh outfit just before the ceremony means the photographs catch it at its best.

What to pack when taking a baby to a wedding

Pack for a long day out with smart clothes and rarely a shop nearby:

• Nappies and wipes, and then a few more. Weddings run late.
• Spare outfits for both of you. A dribbly cuddle on a silk dress is practically a rite of passage.
• Snacks and drinks your child already likes. Wedding food may not arrive when your toddler is hungry, and canapés are rarely toddler shaped.
• A comforter, whether that is a favourite teddy, a muslin or a dummy.
• Ear defenders made for babies or small children, for the disco or band.
• A familiar sleeping bag or blanket, so a nap feels like a proper nap, even somewhere new.
• Layers, because marquees can be warm in the afternoon and chilly after dark.
• Pyjamas, so a sleepy toddler can change before the drive home.

Feeding a baby or toddler at a wedding

Wedding food runs to the couple's timetable, not your baby's. The wedding breakfast often comes a good while after the ceremony, so plan feeds as though nothing will arrive until it is in front of you.

Bottles away from home

If your baby has formula, the NHS guidance on formula milk when you are out is to take a measured amount of powder in a small, clean, dry container, a vacuum flask of water that has just been boiled and an empty sterilised bottle, then make each feed up fresh when it is needed. If the flask is full and sealed, the NHS says the water stays above 70°C for several hours. Where that is not practical, a carton of ready-to-feed liquid formula is the alternative it suggests. Either way you are not relying on a busy bar to find you hot water halfway through the drinks reception.

Breastfeeding

A muslin or scarf and a seat at the end of a row make feeding during the ceremony or speeches much easier. If you would rather feed away from the crowd, the quiet room you asked the venue about comes into its own here, and a reusable bottle of water for you is worth packing too.

Toddlers and the wedding breakfast

Give your toddler a proper lunch before the ceremony, even if you are eating later. Ask the couple whether there will be a children's meal and a highchair at your table. If dinner arrives late or looks suspicious, the snacks in your bag are the back-up. A toddler who has eaten is a toddler who can cope with the photographs.

Getting through the ceremony with a toddler at a wedding

The ceremony is the part most parents worry about, because it is quiet and it matters. Where you sit and what you bring make it far easier.

Choose your seat wisely

Sit at the end of a row, near the back or close to a side door. You will still see everything, and if your baby starts to grumble you can slip out in seconds without squeezing past a row of guests in their best clothes.

Bring quiet entertainment, and step out early

Choose toys that do not rattle, beep or roll under the chairs: soft fabric books, finger puppets or a teether for babies, and a sheet of stickers for toddlers. If your little one needs a break, go early and go calmly. A quick walk outside often resets things in a couple of minutes, and plenty of guests will have been in exactly the same spot.

Speeches, late nights and loud music

Then comes the second half of the day. Speeches run long, the evening is loud, and bedtime comes and goes while the band is still warming up.

Loud music and small ears

Discos and live bands can be a lot for babies and toddlers. Put the ear defenders on at home a few times beforehand so they feel normal, sit away from the speakers and step outside between songs if your child seems unsettled. Half an hour of dancing is plenty for some little ones.

Overtiredness and keeping a little routine

Watch for the early signs of tiredness, such as rubbing eyes, going quiet or getting suddenly silly, and act before the meltdown. A few familiar steps help: pyjamas, a bottle or a feed, their own sleeping bag and the song you always sing. They tell a small body it is time to rest, even in a marquee in Warwickshire or a hotel function room in Birmingham.

How does a wedding crèche for babies work?

A wedding crèche gives babies and toddlers their own calm space at the venue with professional carers, while parents stay on site and enjoy the day. At Happy Little Guests, we plan for our youngest guests properly.

Under 2s childcare at events: the ratios

We follow the EYFS ratios: one carer to every three children under 2, one to every five two-year-olds and one to every eight children aged 3 and over. There are two qualified carers at every event, and more when the number and ages of the children need them. Every carer is enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained, and we are fully insured. You can read how we staff babies and toddlers on our home page, or our guide with the ratios and safety explained in full.

What babies and toddlers do with us

Babies join in with the songs from music and movement, explore safe, age-appropriate toys and share board books in the story den. Older toddlers often love the parachute games and having a go at colouring, with plenty of help. For more activity ideas by age, from babies to big kids, see our activities guide.

A calm corner for rest

Our story den, a teepee with soft cushions and fairy lights, sits in a calm, sensory-friendly corner where tired little ones can wind down away from the bustle. Charlotte also works regularly with children with special educational needs, so if your toddler finds noise or new places hard, tell us what helps and we will build it into the day. Tell us how your little one usually naps and what helps them settle, and we will talk it through with you before the day.

What we need from parents of babies and toddlers

Before any Happy Little Guests event, every family completes a short registration for each child, which needs to reach us at least 7 days before the wedding. The more you tell us, the more your baby's day with us feels like a normal day. Please include:

• Routines: nap times, how they like to settle and what a good day looks like.
• Feeds: bottles, breastfeeds, weaning and when they usually eat.
• Allergies and dietary needs: we only give a child food or drink their parent has provided or approved. Craft materials can contain allergens, so mention contact allergies too.
• Comforters: the teddy, muslin or dummy that makes everything better, and what your family calls it.

Parents bring food, drinks, nappies and wipes for their own children, so label everything with your child's name. Parents also stay at the venue the whole time and need to be reachable by phone, so you are only ever a short walk away. If your baby has had sickness, diarrhoea or a temperature in the 48 hours before, they will need to stay with you that day.

We take photos of the fun, but children's faces are never shown, names are never used and you can opt out.

For couples: making your wedding baby friendly

If some of your favourite people have babies, a little planning helps them say yes. Parents of under 2s often hesitate because they cannot picture how the day will work.

A quiet room, a sensible timetable and a crèche with qualified carers can turn a "maybe" into a definite yes, and keep your ceremony calm and your speeches audible. A wedding nanny can suit a single baby, but once there are several little ones, a mobile crèche is usually simpler, because the space and staffing are planned around the whole group. Whether you call it a wedding nursery, a wedding creche or simply the kids' room, the point is the same: parents get to enjoy your day as guests. Our guide to a wedding nanny or a crèche compares the two in more detail.

How to tell your guests

• Add a line to your invitation or wedding website, such as: "Little ones are very welcome, and a crèche will run during the meal, speeches and evening."
• Share the order of the day early, so parents can plan naps and feeds.
• Let parents know what to bring and that they need to stay at the venue.
• Pass the registration link on as soon as your crèche sends it.

Still weighing it up? You can get an instant quote in a minute or two.

How Happy Little Guests can help

Happy Little Guests is a professional pop-up event crèche for weddings and corporate events, run by Charlotte Pennington from Redditch, Worcestershire. We look after babies, toddlers and older children across Worcestershire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

• Qualified, checked carers. Two qualified carers at every event, and more when the number and ages of the children need them, following the EYFS ratios. Every carer is enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained, and we are fully insured.
• Activities included. Crafts and keepsakes such as crowns and cards for the couple, parachute games, music and movement, and our cosy story den, with every material included.
• The whole day handled. Set-up, sign-in and sign-out for every child, and pack-down. We liaise with your venue and planner, and cover the ceremony, speeches and evening.
• Ofsted notified. Event crèches like ours are exempt from Ofsted registration, and we notify Ofsted in writing at least 14 clear days before each event. A booking made with less notice than that runs for 4 hours, which is our minimum booking.
• Packages to suit your day. Short and sweet (4 hours) or Full event (up to 6 hours), with longer days available. Travel up to 20 miles from Redditch is included.

Have a question about your baby or toddler first? Email Charlotte at hello@happylittleguests.com. When you are ready to see your price, get your instant quote.