The UK’s best child friendly venues
If you have children – or are planning on inviting lots of them to your wedding – you want to choose a wedding venue that is child friendly, one that will allow them to run around and have fun, while staying safe – and allowing your adult guests to have a ball, too. Here are our 5 top tips to help you choose your perfect child friendly wedding venue.
A huge thank you to Albert Palmer Photography, one of our recommended house photographers, for the use of his stunning images in this post.
SAFETY AND EXCLUSIVITY
If lots of your guests are bringing their children, you do not want them to be forever watching over their youngsters, you want them to be able to relax and enjoy themselves. We recommend looking at venues in which you have exclusive use - a space which is full of just your chosen family and friends. Ideally, this venue will be away from the main road, and have lots of garden space for the kids to have a run around in!
Of course, what is considered a danger will depend on how many children will attend and their ages, but if you’ve got lots of little ones attending and are concerned, then you’re better off erring on the side of a child-friendly wedding venue.
IS THERE SPACE FOR GAMES?
We recommend creating a kids-only room filled with activities – and lots of space – where they can run around and yell their little hearts out without interrupting your drinks reception and wedding breakfast, without annoying other guests! Some couples even hire a babysitter to take care of all the little ones, leaving their parents to relax and enjoy their time. At Brympton, we have lots of areas that can be made into kids-only rooms, or alternatively you can have garden games set up to keep them entertained.
MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH SEATING
Seating is essential – obviously. But if the children are toddlers, then normal seating will not quite work. Ensure that the venue has high-chairs available for use during your wedding breakfast. Remember also, when it comes to seating children, that they like to get out of their seats so ensure your wedding breakfast space has enough space to seat all of your guests, not just the little ones, with enough space to move around and get in and out of their seats without knocking elbows with other guests. We recommend the Ballroom for your wedding breakfast, which has plenty of space - and even enough space for a kids-only table, which can include lots of activities and keep the kids entertained throughout the meal (and speeches!).
ENSURE YOU OFFER A CHILD FRIENDLY MENU
Your mini guests need to be fed too, but often they do not want the same food as the adults or they will require a smaller plate size. We recommend asking the venue about their options for child menus. Perhaps they can offer smaller portions or offer a kids menu instead (chicken nuggets and thick cut chips will go down much better than Filet Mignon With Green Beans!)
MAKE SURE THERE ARE CHILD FRIENDLY SPACES AVAILABLE
Be sure to have your evening party in a space which has an adjoining room away from the dance floor, that way parents can party whilst keeping an eye on their children. Additionally, if the venue has child friendly or family bedrooms, that is better still! At Brympton, we have the wonderful Party Barn which has a chill out room alongside the dance floor, which is a great space for seating for guests as well as children throughout the evening. It is connected to the Dance floor, so guests who want to have a chat or a quieter time, can sit here yet still be connected to the party!
