How Should We Tell Our Guests About Wedding-Day Childcare

Deciding whether or not to have children at your wedding can be tough, but if you've got friends with little ones or a soccer team worth of flower girls and ring bearers, it's pretty much a no-brainer. That doesn't mean, however, that Mom and Dad have to be on parent duty all night! Providing babysitters to help keep kids entertained is a great way to enable your friends to join in the celebration, even if it's past someone's bedtime. But how do you let your parent pals know you've got childcare set up for your wedding day? Our experts weigh in.

If only a few couples are bringing kids along for your wedding, sending an email or making a phone call is a quick and easy way to let them know that there will be babysitters on-hand. This way you can clearly communicate how long the sitters will be there, where the kids area will be set up, and whether there are any special requirements like highchairs or portable cribs that the kids in question might need. If you're sending out an email, include all the parents in the same message so they can coordinate things like games or movies the kids will enjoy.

Having a larger group of kids as part of the party? Stick an information card into your invitation and include a line about childcare being available on-site.

You should also definitely display the details prominently on your wedding website. Request that parents contact you, your wedding planner, or even the sitters directly with any questions and any needs they might have. You could also include a hint about activities that are planned to get the kids excited about the party, too!