Children of relatives. Children of friends. Children over a certain age. There are so many variables to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to have kids at the wedding.
Often, there’s a blanket rule of having no kids at all, but if your little niece is longing to be a bridesmaid, or your young nephew would make the perfect ring bearer, it can be hard to draw that line.
Help is at hand: Couples can now call on professional wedding babysitting services to step in.
“The most important thing for couples planning to provide wedding child care is to first decide what kind of experience you and your guests are looking to have on your special day,” said Leanne Gadow, CEO of Broadway Babysitters. “If you’re open to having kids nearby, ask the parents if that’s their preference as well. Some parents would like to have their kids there if the couple is open to it, and others prefer the option to leave them in a nearby hotel room to give the celebration their undivided attention.”
When planning her wedding in 2012, Kim Martir, owner and founder of My Fair Nanny, had a young ring bearer and flower girl.
“Both sets of parents were in the bridal party and all the usual babysitters were guests at the wedding,” she said. “I wanted the children to have fun safely at the reception but also wanted a quiet space for them to escape and for their parents to be able to relax and have a good time. At that time, I was working as a nanny in business school. I saw a need and decided to be the solution.”
Sandra Weir, founder and CEO of the Wedding Nanny, saw a similar need when she realized weddings require a different type of child care.
“There’s a different level of support needed at a wedding,” she said. “We’re at the ceremony assisting the kids as they walk down the aisle, and we’re prepared if a child becomes overwhelmed and needs to step out. We transition to the reception, understand the timeline and create a kids’ corner to occupy them during formal portraits. We can take the little ones to a designated quiet space for a nap and keep children engaged throughout the day.”
Newlywed Gianna Parisi hired two sitters from the Wedding Nanny for her nuptials last fall, at the recommendation of her wedding planner. “With seven nieces and nephews, ranging in age from 1 to 10, having a sitter took a load off of their parents.”
A professional sitter service is different from your local babysitter. They carry liability insurance, run background checks on their sitters and have their staff trained in CPR. They also come prepared with activities to keep all the children occupied.
“We bring along age-appropriate arts and crafts, toys, games, puzzles and coloring books and try to curate activities that will help pique the children’s interests to help keep them excited and interested throughout their time with us,” Martir said.
“We ensure the kids enjoy themselves, but when they’re not at their best, someone trusted can step in to manage the moment so the adults can fully enjoy the celebration.”
Sandra Weir, founder and CEO of the Wedding Nanny
With all of their sitters having a background in the arts, Broadway Babysitters organizes games and activities focusing on arts programs.
“We love organizing games and activities to keep them entertained and engaged, and they will always be personalized to the age group, but some favorites have been dance parties where they learn a dance together to their favorite songs, acting games or sing-a-longs to keep them enjoying their time together,” Gadow said.
Screen time is not usually encouraged. “We try to avoid projectors, movies and screens because couples want the kids to feel part of the wedding day,” Weir noted. “We make sure the kids genuinely enjoy the celebration while giving parents, and the couple, peace of mind. Our nannies assist in feeding the children and will happily dance with them on the dance floor.”
Fees and terms vary, but you can expect to spend $400 to $650 for a basic package with one sitter looking after three or four school-age children for four hours. Infants require one-to-one care, and additional sitters start at $100 per hour. Travel time may add to the fee.
It could be well worth the cost though, since hiring professional wedding nannies offers parents reassurance throughout the day and a respite if and when the kids run out of steam or start acting up.
As Weir explained, “We ensure the kids enjoy themselves, but when they’re not at their best, someone trusted can step in to manage the moment so the adults can fully enjoy the celebration.”
