Planning a wedding can be a stressful experience for any couple. It can be more stressful for couples that are getting married with young children and the process of the wedding day can be more stressful if the right planning is not put in place for the children to be looked after. A wedding crèche, wedding chaperons or getting a reliable friend or family can help reduce the stress of having the couple’s children looked after. However, it is not just about getting a wedding crèche company or professional childcare practitioners to look after the children but also about working together and ensuring the wedding creche company has all the right information that will endeavour in making the creche an enjoyable experience for the children. There are some points to consider:

• Ensure that the space the creche will be taking place is not too close for the children to see their parents or vice-versa: We understand that parents may want to see their children and vice-versa. However, when both parties are still able to see themselves but not have contact this makes the settling process more difficult and delays the children and staff getting to develop a relationship in the short space of time.
• Parent coming in and out of the creche space: The in and out of parent within a temporary creche space can get some children upset. Children that take longer to settle on seeing other parents but not seeing theirs can become distress and unsettled for the duration of the wedding creche service. However, when children get too distress and the childcare professional cannot settle in the child, it is advised that parent should be called upon to attend to their child/ren. Informing parents on the effect this may have on children can help make the settling process easier but may not stop them from coming in all together.
• Get parents involved in activities, if they want to: Although, it is mentioned in the previous point to discourage parents from coming into the crèche. However, some parents might be a familiar person with majority of the children in the wedding creche and his/her presence might be of positive to the children enjoying themselves. It should be noted that childcare practitioners within the crèche setting can inform the parent to leave at any time to ensure the professional control and safety of all the children.
• Let the children rest, if need be: It is suggested that children should rest, especially the toddlers and babies, if it is going to be a long day. There may be friends and families the couple’s children or other children attending the wedding may not have seen in a long time, and these friends and families may want to see the children. However, if children are disturbed or distracted when they want to sleep, it can make them tried and crying uncontrolled because the environment did not allow for sleeping or having a nap.
• Ensure there is enough food for children: It is important that food is provided early enough for the children to eat. Although some children may have bags, couples should ensure that their children and parents of other children have enough food in the bag for the children to eat. If a catering company or the venue is supplying the children’s food, ensure that this is explained to the wedding creche company so that eating times and sitting arrangement is planned in accordance to the children’s need. When meals are late, this can contributed to children being tried, crying and hungry.
• Ensure the space is big enough for the number of children: Most wedding creche company should carry out a venue analysis to ensure that the space being used for the creche is safe and meets with OFSTED guidelines. However, in situations when this cannot be done, clients should ensure they are as truthful as possible with the space and work together with the mobile creche company. They can do this by sending pictures and giving room measurements.
• Wedding Speech: Advice parents to leave their children in the wedding creche environment during wedding speech. If parents decide to take their children just before the speech start, they cannot be forced to leave their children in the creche space at any particular time. However, if couples explain how important the wedding speech is to them, parents will want to respect this and leave their children within the creche during this time.

Contact us for our wedding childcare service.