Questions to Ask a Wedding Crèche Before You Book: A Checklist
The questions to ask a wedding crèche before you book: DBS checks, first aid, Ofsted notice, ratios, allergies, collection and more, with our own answers.
Key takeaways
- A good wedding crèche answers every question clearly and without hesitation, so asking is the quickest way to tell providers apart.
- Start with safety: enhanced DBS checks, paediatric first aid, insurance, Ofsted notice and the staffing ratios for your children's ages.
- Then ask how they handle allergies, medication, sign-in and collection, and what happens if the number of children changes.
- Happy Little Guests answers all of these in writing before you book, and Charlotte is happy to talk them through.
In this guide
Knowing the questions to ask a wedding crèche before you book makes choosing one far easier. You are trusting someone with your nieces, nephews, godchildren and perhaps your own little ones, often in a building none of them have been in before. A professional provider will welcome every question and answer it clearly. This checklist covers what to ask, why each answer matters and how we answer it at Happy Little Guests, so you can compare providers with confidence.
Why the right questions matter
Most couples have never booked childcare for a wedding before, and it can be hard to know what good looks like. Two providers might both promise "qualified staff and fun activities", and only the follow-up questions show the difference between them.
Charlotte has spent nearly a decade in nurseries and primary schools, where parents ask searching questions every day, and she would much rather a couple ask too many than too few. It also helps you later on. Parents on your guest list will want to know who is looking after their children, and if you already have the answers, you can pass them straight on.
If you are still weighing up your options, our guide to choosing a wedding nanny or wedding crèche compares the two side by side. The questions below work for either.
Safety questions to ask a wedding crèche
Is every carer enhanced DBS checked?
Ask about every carer, not just the person you speak to. An enhanced DBS check is the level of check used for people who work closely with children. Our answer: every Happy Little Guests carer is enhanced DBS checked, and has safeguarding training too.
Is every carer paediatric first aid trained?
Paediatric first aid covers the things that happen to small children, such as choking, allergic reactions and bumps to the head. Our answer: yes, every carer is paediatric first aid trained, and we bring a first aid kit to every event.
Are you insured?
Public liability insurance protects everyone if something goes wrong. Our answer: we are fully insured, and we will happily show you the certificate if you ask.
Ofsted, notice and ratios
Are you registered with Ofsted, or exempt?
Crèches that pop up at events are usually exempt from Ofsted registration, but that does not mean there are no rules. The provider must notify Ofsted in writing before each event. Our answer: we notify Ofsted at least 14 clear days before every event, and we keep the confirmation on file for your booking. Our guide to Ofsted, DBS checks and ratios explains it in full.
How much notice do you need?
This is the question couples most often forget. Our answer: a booking made with less than 14 clear days' notice runs for 4 hours, because that is the limit when we cannot notify Ofsted in time. 4 hours is also our minimum booking, so booking early keeps every package open, including a longer day.
Which ratios will you follow, and how many carers will we need?
Ratios tell you how many adults there will be for the children, and the ages matter as much as the numbers. Our answer: there are always at least two qualified carers, and we add more following the EYFS ratios. That means one carer to three children under 2, one to five two-year-olds and one to eight children aged 3 and over. Our instant quote asks for ages for exactly this reason.
Allergies, medication and collection
How will you find out about each child?
Ask how the provider learns about allergies, medical needs and routines before the day. Our answer: once you have booked, you forward a registration link to the parents, and each family tells us directly about allergies, medical and additional needs, naps, comforters and what helps their child settle. We only give a child food or drink their parent has provided or approved, and we ask about contact allergies as well, because craft materials can contain allergens.
Charlotte works regularly with children with special educational needs (SEN), so if a child needs a quieter space or a particular routine, we plan for it before they arrive.
What is your medication policy?
A clear policy protects every child. Our answer: our carers do not give medication. The one exception is an emergency auto-injector that a parent provides, shows us how to use and registers with us before the day. Parents stay at the venue throughout, so any other medicine stays with them.
How are children signed in and collected?
At a wedding, with drinks flowing and a late finish, collection matters. Our answer: every child is signed in by a parent when they arrive and signed out when they leave. Each parent chooses a collection password when they register, and we only release a child to a named adult or someone who gives that password. We will not hand a child to anyone we believe is unfit to care for them, including through drink; we contact the registered adult instead.
Charlotte's tip Once you have your answers, share them with the parents. A few lines on your wedding website about who is looking after the children, where the crèche room is and how sign-in works will save you a lot of messages in the week before the wedding.
Practical questions: space, inclusions, photos and numbers
What space do you need at the venue?
Our answer: a private room or a clearly sectioned-off area kept just for the children, warm (18°C or more), with toilets nearby, clear fire exits and no other guests passing through. We need the room 45 minutes before the crèche opens to set up and for 30 minutes after it closes to pack down. We liaise with your venue and planner, so you do not have to be the go-between.
What is included?
Some quotes look simple until the extras appear. Our answer: every booking includes the carers, all activities and materials, set-up, sign-in and sign-out, and pack-down. That means crafts, games, parachute play, music and movement and our story den teepee with fairy lights. Travel up to 20 miles from Redditch is included, and the instant quote shows any travel beyond that before you book.
What is your photo policy?
Our answer: we sometimes take photos of the activities, but children's faces are never shown and their names are never used. Any parent can opt out completely when they register.
What happens if the number of children changes?
Guest lists change, and it is worth knowing the rules up front. Our answer: tell us as early as you can, because the number and ages of the children decide how many carers we bring, and we confirm any change to the price in writing before it applies. If more children arrive on the day than were booked, we may have to turn them away if taking them would break our ratios, unless we have spare staff to cover.
Your wedding crèche checklist
Copy this list into your notes or send it straight to any wedding childcare provider you are considering:
- Is every carer enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained?
- Are you insured, and can I see the certificate?
- Are you registered with Ofsted or exempt, and when will you notify Ofsted?
- How much notice do you need, and what happens if we book late?
- Which ratios will you follow, and how many carers will our children need?
- How do you learn about allergies, medical needs and additional needs?
- What is your medication policy?
- How do sign-in, sign-out and collection work?
- What space do you need, and when do you need access?
- What is included, and is travel extra?
- What is your photo policy?
- What happens if our numbers change?
If the answers to the first five are vague, keep looking.
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. Charlotte plans every booking, with at least two qualified carers and more when the ages and numbers of children need them. We cover Worcestershire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.
- Short and sweet: 4 hours, ideal for the ceremony and speeches.
- Full event: up to 6 hours, from the ceremony into the evening.
- Longer days: available when you would like cover from the first guests to the last dance.
Have a question that is not on the list? Email Charlotte at hello@happylittleguests.com. When you are ready, get your instant quote.
Your questions answered
What should I ask a wedding crèche before booking?
Ask whether every carer is enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained, whether they are insured, how they work with Ofsted, which ratios they follow, how they handle allergies and medication, how children are signed in and collected, what space they need, what is included, their photo policy and what happens if your numbers change.
Does a wedding crèche need to be registered with Ofsted?
A crèche that runs at events is usually exempt from Ofsted registration, but it must notify Ofsted in writing before each event. We notify Ofsted at least 14 clear days before every booking, and a booking made with less notice than that runs for 4 hours.
What happens if more children come than we booked?
Tell us as early as you can, as the number and ages of the children decide how many carers we bring. If extra children arrive on the day, we may have to turn them away if taking them would break our staffing ratios, unless we have spare staff.
Will the crèche give my child medicine?
Our carers do not give medication. The one exception is an emergency auto-injector that a parent provides, shows us how to use and registers with us before the day. Parents stay at the venue, so any other medicine stays with them.
Happy Little Guests
What every Happy Little Guests booking includes
Happy Little Guests is a professional pop-up crèche for weddings and corporate events. We bring everything to your venue, look after the children in a space of their own and hand them back happy, so parents can enjoy the ceremony, the speeches and the dancing.
- Weddings and corporate events: ceremony, speeches and evening cover, family fun days, conferences, summer parties and awards nights.
- Two qualified carers at every event, with more when the number and ages of children need them, following the EYFS ratios.
- Enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained carers, and full insurance for every booking.
- Ofsted notified in writing at least 14 clear days before your event. Booking with less notice? A short-notice booking runs for 4 hours.
- Crafts, games, a story den and a calm corner, with every activity and all materials included.
Based in Redditch, we cover Worcestershire, Birmingham, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire, and events anywhere else in England. Travel up to 20 miles from Redditch is included.
