A wedding is one of the most important events a person will experience in their lifetime. It is a milestone for couples looking to start their future together.
A lot goes into the planning of a wedding. It’s a day where you’d want everything to go perfectly, including having the right guests. It is perfectly understandable if you and your partner decide to have an kid-free wedding. To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, there are polite ways and strategies to politely say no kids at your wedding.
You can include the kid free wedding wording listed below on your wedding website or RSVP to gracefully and clearly inform your guests. Likewise, alternative strategies are also provided.
Polite Ways to Say “No Kids at Wedding”
Elegant Ways to Say “No Kids at Wedding”
When looking for classic and straightforward statements to communicate your decision, these options are refined and easy to understand:
- “Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate children during our wedding.”
- “We politely request that no one under the age of 18 be present for the reception.”
- “We kindly remind everyone that this is an adult-only event.”
- “Although we love kids, we cannot accommodate them for our wedding. We hope you understand.”
- “We apologize for the inconvenience it may cause, but we would like to keep the reception for adults only.”
- “Children are wonderful, but parents deserve a break every so often. Thus, the reception is adults-only!”
- “For an entire day of relaxation and celebration, we ask for no children at our wedding.”
- “We seek your understanding and support for our decision of having a kid-free wedding.”
- “Due to venue restrictions, we’re accommodating only the children of close family. Our apologies!”
- “To provide our guests with a worry-free experience, we’re hosting an adults-only celebration.”
- “The day’s events cater primarily to an adult audience.”
- “To maintain the serene environment, we’ve chosen an adults-only gathering.”
The Subtle Approach
For those preferring to hint towards the adult-only nature of the event, rather than state it outright, we provide a nice way to say no kids at the wedding:
- “Join us for an evening of adult festivities and merriment.”
- “This will be a grown-ups-only affair.”
- “To ensure a serene ambiance, our celebration will be child-free.”
- “The ceremony and festivities have been curated for adults.”
- “We’ve planned an evening tailored for adults to relax and revel.”
Emphasizing Space and Logistics
- “Prepare for an evening of adult-themed fun and frolic.”
- “Join us for an adults-only night of dancing and festivities.”
- “Our wedding will have elements best suited for an adult audience.”
- “The nature of our celebration is tailored more towards the grown-ups.”
- “We’ve sculpted an evening with nuances best appreciated by adults.”
Highlighting Celebration Tone
For when the events and activities planned resonate more with an adult audience:
- “Prepare for an evening where the tone is decidedly adult-centric.”
- “Our celebration features events tailored primarily for grown-ups.”
- “The ambiance and activities are best suited for our adult guests.”
- “With the theme and mood in mind, we’ve decided on an adults-only affair.”
- “An evening with mature overtones awaits.”
- “We’ve designed a night where grown-up vibes take center stage.”
Gracious Appeals
- “We hope for your support in keeping our celebration adults-only.”
- “In respect of our wishes, we kindly ask for no children.”
- “Your understanding in our decision to have an adult-focused celebration is greatly appreciated.”
- “For a myriad of reasons, we’ve chosen an adults-only setting.”
- “We trust you’ll support our choice for an evening without little ones.”
- “We understand this might be inconvenient, but we hope you can join our grown-up gala.”
- “For a smooth celebration, we’ve decided to keep it kid-free. Thank you for understanding.”
- “We sincerely hope you can respect our decision for a child-free ceremony.”
- “It’s a night off for both parents and kids. Join us for an adults-only evening!”
- “We humbly request the presence of our adult friends and family on our special day.”
Playful Approaches
To add a touch of humor and lightness to your message, consider these playful wordings:
- “We love kids, but let’s keep the juice boxes at home this time!”
- “Let’s make this a night of wine glasses, not sippy cups!”
- “This party is BYOB: Bring Your Own Boo, not babies!”
- “We’re swapping bedtime stories for cocktail tales this night!”
- “Join us for a night where the only bottles are filled with champagne!”
Alternative Ways to Announce a No-Kids Wedding
Besides the statements listed above, there are alternative ways you can let your guests know that your wedding — or a part of it — is an adults-only event
Specify your RSVP/invite
Although this entails a little more work on your part, you could specify the names of the adults in the family you are inviting. This clarifies to whom the invitation applies without having to explicitly exclude anyone.
Likewise, you could work on the phrasing of the invitation response to insinuate that only adults can attend. For example, the affirmative option can say, “Adults accept the invite,” while the negative option can say, “Unfortunately, adults are unable to attend.”
Provide a Babysitter or Crèche Service
In line with #6 on the list, you can enlist the service of a babysitter or provide a crèche. A crèche is a nursery or a daycare in which children are left to the care of professionals while their parents are away.
This would add to the costs and logistics of planning your wedding, but it is a small price to pay to ensure the enjoyment and relaxation of your guests.
Cite the Venue
If the venue of your wedding has limited seating capacity, you may state on your wedding website or on the invitation that each family is only allotted a specific number of seats. This is often an implicit way of saying there will be no children at the wedding.
Likewise, if the venue does not allow children on its premises, you can let your invited guests know about the regulation and the reasons behind it.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Your guests will appreciate your utmost honesty on concerns surrounding the ceremony.
If there will be no kids at the wedding because of the cost, let the guests know that the event is limited to adults because of budget constraints.
If some of the activities you are planning for the reception may be too rowdy or adult-centric, informing the guests about it not only lets them know that children cannot attend, but also allows them to mentally prepare for what you have in store.
If certain children will be allowed to attend, explain it to your guests. Possible reasons include only the children of immediate family members can be accommodated, or the ring bearers and flower girls will be children. You can also opt to allow only infants.
Regardless of your explanation, it is best to be upfront about it. You may announce it through your wedding website, a post on social media, or call your guests individually. This mitigates the chance of miscommunication, or the announcement being overlooked.
This may entail a difficult and lengthy conversation, so patience and transparency are of utmost importance. At the end of the day, you have to respect the decision of your guests, whether it be an acceptance of the invitation, hesitance, or denial.
Final Thoughts
A wedding is a reflection of the couple’s wishes and the atmosphere they wish to create. If a kid-free environment is what you envision, then communicating this politely and transparently is essential. By using the right wording, such as the phrases provided above, you can help avoid misunderstandings and ensure that your special day goes off without a hitch.
