Sometimes if a wedding is out of town and kids are not invited, and I don’t know a babysitter - I don’t go.
Sometimes DH or I goes alone if we have other family or friends going.

We had a family member who did this for a destination wedding abroad. The invite noted guests could hire a local sitter and have the person watch the kids at the hotel. We don't leave our kids with strangers and this particular hotel did not even have a sitter service (which we have never used elsewhere when it is available but could at least get how that may seem like a viable option if you are more flexible than us). Basically, this was a find a random local lady who may not speak the same language as the kids and leave her for hours in a hotel room with your kids while you go off site to the wedding and reception location for 3-5 hrs. DH relatives live elsewhere. Kid grandparents and so forth were all headed to the wedding. So, leaving them behind at home was not an option. Ultimately we decided the couple had the right to have the wedding of their dreams and we had the right to save on 5k airfare for the whole family and 4 days of vacation leave while dumping our kids in a hotel with a total stranger. 6 years later...everyone survived ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand why people who hire babysitters so they can go on date nights and out their kids on day care all week get bent out of shape because they can't take their kids along to a wedding for a few hours. Hire a friggin baby sitter. It's not a big deal.

At a hotel? No. Op says a lot of people have to travel.

Yes. Ask people who live locally for recommended baby sitters. Why people think their are entitled to bring kids to their weddings is beyond me. It's bizarre - people leave their kids with baby sitters all the time but for an event like a wedding that just CANT be away from them for four or five hours?

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand why people who hire babysitters so they can go on date nights and out their kids on day care all week get bent out of shape because they can't take their kids along to a wedding for a few hours. Hire a friggin baby sitter. It's not a big deal.

At a hotel? No. Op says a lot of people have to travel.

I will never understand why people who hire babysitters so they can go on date nights and out their kids on day care all week get bent out of shape because they can't take their kids along to a wedding for a few hours. Hire a friggin baby sitter. It's not a big deal.

I know someone who said no kids, knowing that many of the families on their guest list would be unable to arrange child care since they'd be far from home. The couple marrying needed to have a small wedding because of costs and figured that this would trim the guest list down without them having to make decisions about who not to invite.

As it turned out, a lot of people just couldn't do it, between the travel and having to arrange child care, so they declined.
Then, the bride was all upset because so few people were able to make it to her wedding!

Weddings are emotional times, you just have to do what works best for you and your family.

Are you one of the couple's who have to travel? If so, don't go.

You could get a couple of babysitters to share and let all the kids have a little kid party with movies and order pizza at the hotel. Or you could do shifts where you and the other couples take turns babysitting.
Or just decline.

I do think it is a little annoying in situations like these where its family and pretty much all the family has kids but the kids aren't invited. Especially when travel is involved.

I get that it's annoying, but think about it from their perspective, kids are loud, emotional, and they eat (so prices skyrocket when you add kids to the invite list). Just find a sitter and go or don't go.

I've noticed that some brides/grooms are all about what they want, and others are all about their guests. Your cousin is the former. They have every right to decide who they want their wedding to be, but you also have the right to decline.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stay home.

We’re debating about it. Wedding in June. I guess they can celebrate with the 2-3 couples without kids.

I would decline and say that child care is an issue. If family is attending the wedding, no one to leave the kids with and not comfortable hiring a babysitter you do not know. Done.

We didn't want kids at our wedding either. We KNEW our particular kids would behave, would be quiet, wouldn't throw a fit. We didn't want to deal with anyone else's kids potentially ruining our special day. If people couldn't get childcare, then they stayed home.

Anonymous wrote:Stay home.

We’re debating about it. Wedding in June. I guess they can celebrate with the 2-3 couples without kids.

Stay home.

My cousin is marrying her long time boyfriend. They have two kids (almost 2&5) yet they’ve told all guests no children allowed at wedding or reception. I find this tacky regardless, but especially considering the fact they have children and have been cohabitating for 6+ years.

90% is the family members on both sides are traveling and many of us have children. What the hell do we do with our kids?