Ways To Include Children In Your Ceremony

Celebrant Catriona Doherty shares her top tips for involving children in your big day.

START WITH YOUR SCRIPT

Write your children into your ceremony; this is something your celebrant can do when they are scripting your unique love story. The love story aspect of a ceremony is generally the point where your officiant talks about how you and your partner met, the engagement, and why you work so well as a couple. Be sure to mention to your officiant that you’d like your little ones mentioned within this section.

Alternatively, some couples make a family vow during the ceremony – a little promise as parents to continue to create a safe and loving home for their children.

WALK IN TOGETHER 

Including your child in your wedding by walking up the aisle together. Traditionally, fathers have been given the honour of walking their daughters down the aisle. However, as family dynamics and relationships vary, this tradition has evolved to reflect modern weddings and individual values. You could give this role to your child, which will not only be a special memory, but also make for sweet photos to look on back on in years to come. 

SHARE A FEW WORDS

Invite your young guest to read. Your celebrant will most likely have a selection of child-appropriate poems and readings, and short and simple quotes such as this one from Winnie the Pooh: 

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”

A LITTLE TOKEN

In a ceremony that includes children, the bride and groom could give them a gift such as a piece of jewellery. This present, like the couple’s rings, serves as a reminder of their commitment to each member of the family.

HANDS-ON IDEAS

The sand ceremony is a wonderful way to capture the emotions of the joining of two people, and the ritual/enhancement can also include other family members. Incorporate kids in the sand ceremony by inviting them up to pour sand from one container into a larger vessel. As the very fine particles of sand can never truly be separated, the sand blending represents the steadfast nature of this new unit that has been created. 

Another option involves the unity candle ritual. If the children are young, the couple could light candles for each of them, if the children are older, they could light their own candle, before lighting the larger/centre candle together with their parents as a family.

LEADING ROLE

The most obvious way to include children in your ceremony is to give them the starring role of flower girl, page boy or ring bearer – and if you are doing that, then you may not need to consider any other options; you’ve already got it covered.