Wedding Nanny or Wedding Crèche? How to Choose the Right One

If you are searching for a wedding nanny, you probably want something simple: a kind, capable person who keeps the children safe and happy while the grown-ups enjoy the day. "Wedding nanny", "wedding babysitter", "wedding nursery" and "wedding crèche" often mean the same thing to the person searching. In practice they work quite differently, and the right choice depends on how many children are coming, how old they are and how much of the day needs cover.

We are Happy Little Guests, a pop-up event crèche based in Redditch, Worcestershire, looking after children at weddings and corporate events across the Midlands. Our founder, Charlotte Pennington, has spent nearly a decade working in private nurseries and primary schools, and she plans every booking herself. This guide compares the two options and lists the questions to ask before you book either.

What does a wedding nanny actually do?

Wedding nannies in the UK vary a lot, but the usual picture is one person looking after one family's children, or a small group of little guests, for part of the day. Couples sometimes book one for their own children, and parents sometimes bring one to a family wedding. It often looks like this:

• Care for a few hours around the ceremony, the wedding breakfast or the speeches.
• A spare room, a corner of the venue or a hotel bedroom as the base, sometimes with a film on.
• Bedtime for babies and toddlers in the family's hotel room while the parents stay downstairs.

The appeal is easy to see: a good wedding nanny gets to know each child and follows their routine, and for one baby who needs settling for the night, that personal touch is hard to beat.

Wedding nanny, babysitter or wedding nursery: is there a difference?

Mostly it comes down to scale. A "wedding babysitter" is usually one sitter for an evening, often for a single family, while a "wedding nursery" usually means a crèche-style room for lots of children. The labels are used loosely, though, so whatever someone calls their service, ask how many adults there will be, for how many children, where, and doing what.

What is a wedding crèche?

A wedding crèche (or creche, as many people spell it) is a pop-up childcare room that runs alongside the wedding. It is sometimes called a mobile crèche, because it travels to your venue and packs away at the end. A team of qualified carers looks after all the little guests together, in a space set up just for them. Our full guide explains what a wedding crèche is, but the headlines are:

• A team, never a lone adult, with enough carers for the number and ages of the children.
• A dedicated room or marquee corner, set up with play areas, crafts and a quiet space.
• Sign-in and sign-out for every child, so there is always a clear record of who is in the room.
• Planned activities: crafts, games, music, stories and calm time, chosen for the ages in the room.

At Happy Little Guests, parents stay at the venue while their children are with us, so you are never more than a short walk away, whether the wedding is at a country house in Worcestershire or a city venue in Birmingham.

Wedding crèche vs nanny: how do they compare?

Here is how the two usually compare. Every nanny and every crèche is different, so treat this as a starting point.

• Number of children. A nanny tends to suit one family or a handful of children. A crèche is built for groups.
• Mix of ages. One adult can struggle to settle a baby while keeping a seven-year-old busy. A crèche team can split up to cover both.
• Cover for toilet trips and breaks. A lone nanny has nobody to step in. In a crèche, one carer goes while the others stay with the group.
• Activities and space. A nanny may use a hotel room or a corner of the venue. A crèche sets up its own room for play, crafts and rest, with activities planned by age.
• Checks and insurance. Ask either option about enhanced DBS checks, paediatric first aid and insurance for every carer.
• Ofsted. Nannies who work in a family's own home do not have to register with Ofsted, although they can choose to, as GOV.UK's guidance for childminders and nannies explains. Event crèches like ours are exempt from registration, and we notify Ofsted in writing at least 14 clear days before each event. Our guide to checks, ratios and Ofsted explained goes into the detail.

Why is one adult rarely enough for children at weddings?

Picture a single wedding nanny with six children in a side room during the speeches. A four-year-old needs the toilet, which is down a corridor. A toddler trips and bumps a knee. A baby wakes and wants a cuddle. One adult cannot take one child out of the room and stay with the other five, or comfort one child while keeping a proper eye on the rest.

That is why Happy Little Guests always sends two qualified carers to every event, however small, with more when the number and ages of the children need them. We follow the EYFS ratios: one carer to three children under 2, one to five two-year-olds, and one to eight children aged 3 and over. When a room has babies, two-year-olds and older children together, we work out the carers for that exact mix rather than leaving it to chance.

When does a wedding nanny suit, and when is a crèche better?

The deciding factors are usually how many children are coming, their ages, and which parts of the day need cover.

A nanny can work well when

• There is one baby or one family, and you mainly need someone to settle them to sleep.
• The children will be upstairs in a hotel room at bedtime while the parents stay at the party.
• You already know and trust the person, and they know your child's routine.

A wedding crèche is usually the better fit when

• Several families are bringing children, and the ages range from babies to big kids.
• You want cover from the ceremony through the speeches and into the evening.
• The couple want the children to have their own celebration, not just be kept quiet.

If you are arranging childcare for wedding guests, a crèche also means one booking covers every family, rather than each set of parents finding their own sitter. Our guide to budgeting for wedding childcare walks through what affects the price, and you can compare our packages side by side.

Or use both

The two are not mutually exclusive. For a family with a baby, a pattern that works well is a crèche for the ceremony, the speeches and the early evening, then a sitter the family already knows for bedtime upstairs, once the crèche has closed and the baby is ready to sleep. Couples with children of their own can do the same: a crèche for all the little guests during the day, and a familiar face for their own children at bedtime.

What should you ask a wedding nanny or crèche before booking?

Whichever you choose, ask these before you book. A professional will be glad you did.

1. Is every carer checked and trained? Ask whether every carer, not just one person on the team, is enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained, and whether you are insured.
2. What are your ratios? Ask how many adults there will be for your number and ages of children, and who covers breaks.
3. What is your medication policy? Our staff do not give medication, apart from an emergency auto-injector that a parent provides, demonstrates and registers with us beforehand. Parents stay at the venue, so any other medicine stays with you.
4. What is your photo policy? We take photos at our events, but children's faces are never shown and names are never used, and parents can opt out completely.
5. How are children signed in and out? You want a clear record of who collected each child, and when.
6. What happens if a child is upset? Listen for a real plan, such as a quiet space and fetching the parent, rather than "they'll be fine".

How Happy Little Guests blends the best of both

Families look for a wedding nanny for warmth: someone who knows their child. They look at a crèche for safety, and fun in numbers. We do not think you should have to choose.

Before the day, parents register each child through a link we send once you have booked, and tell us about routines, allergies, comforters and what settles them. So the carer who welcomes your little one at the door already knows, for example, that the bunny stays close and that ten quiet minutes in the story den heads off a wobble. Parents also name the adults allowed to collect and choose a collection password, and we will only release a child to someone who gives it.

Charlotte plans every booking, and her regular work with children with special educational needs (SEN) means a note about noise, routine or a speech delay is planned for, with quiet space and activities to match. Our sensory-friendly wedding guide explains how.

On the day, that knowledge sits with a team of at least two qualified carers rather than one person, in a room set up just for the children. We liaise with your venue and planner so the cover fits around the ceremony, speeches and evening.

How Happy Little Guests can help

Happy Little Guests is a professional event crèche for weddings and corporate events, run by Charlotte Pennington from Redditch, Worcestershire. We look after little guests across the Midlands: 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 EYFS ratios need them. Every carer is enhanced DBS checked and paediatric first aid trained, and we are fully insured.
• Activities included. Crafts and keepsakes, games and active play, and our calm story den, with every material included.
• The whole day handled. Set-up, sign-in and sign-out for every child, and pack-down at the end, with cover for 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.
• 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.

Email Charlotte at hello@happylittleguests.com with any questions about your day. When you are ready, get your instant quote: the calculator works out the carers for your mix of ages as you go.