Brides and grooms with children

Typer Monkey

Hi all. Just looking for some advice or the experiences of brides and grooms who have children. My daughter will be 20 months when we get married this year. The hotel offer a babysitting service so I was thinking of booking a babysitter from 8pm to 2am maybe. I'm hoping one of her grannies will volunteer to mind her from then (or before that depending on when they go to bed I suppose) in their room. I know it's a lot to ask them to be awake from 7am the next day with her. My mam isn't much of a drinker so I'm hoping she won't mind.

I could get an overnight babysitter but I don't want her waking up to a stranger. Both myself and my husband to be are shift workers so we manage childcare between us with occasional help from our parents so I don't have a regular childminder/babysitter who I could ask to overnight with her. Everyone who ever minds her will be a guest at the wedding.

Also how did people manage naps? Our ceremony isn't until 3.30pm so she'll have had her major nap before this so she might be fine after that with all the activity she mightn't even want a nap.

I'm probably way overthinking this but it's been playing on my mind a lot so any words of wisdom or experience would be appreciated

January

I'll have 4 children by the time my wedding comes around and I am hiring a baby sitter to stay with them overnight in the hotel room.

Thumby

Is there anyone going to the wedding who has older children/nieces or nephews that aren't attending? maybe you could ask them to the afters and throw them a few bob for taking over where the hotel sitter is finishing up. BY the time my wedding comes round my eldest son will be 16 and a half so he'll be minding his little sister once she is going to bed (she's autistic so a hotel sitter isn't an option).
I'll make sure to bring a gaming console with us and some games for him that night so he's not cracking up either and the room will be right beside my or my parents room. If you get someone that age or maybe a lil bit older that you know you can always have them call round a few times leading up to the wedding so that your little one can get used to them and not have to worry about her waking up to a stranger.

cookiecakes

I'd try to book a sitter for as late as possible into the night so you aren't cutting anyones night short! See what the latest you can get is and then see why your options are. I know most grannies are grand with them in the room but best to allow them to spend the night mingling before that!!!

Moonbeam

I had a 4 week old , a just gone 4 year old and a just gone 2 year old .
I asked a friends sister to baby sit and got her a hotel room adajecent to ours so she was able to mind the kids in the room and watch TV etc herself .
It was well worth it

Libby029

Ours were 3 years old & 13 months when we got married, we kept them at hotel until 7pm, and then a woman who is the preschool teacher at the creche they attend, came and picked them up and kept them till midday next day for us. We found it great as we didn't have to worry, and kids were grand. I would suggest getting a seperate room for kids and asking a friends sister or a work mate's daughter (we did this for my brother's kids who came and stayed with them in their room until their mum and dad returned)

Typer Monkey

Thanks a million guys, some good food for thought there.

My niece who'll be just gone two will be at the wedding too so I'll put my head together with my sister in law and see what we can come up with