Laura Frappa's Blog

February 28, 2012

 

Child-friendly Italian wedding venues

Countryside Garden Sea-side Villa Amalfi Coast Florence & Tuscany Trends and tips Weddings location

Children are adorable and unpredictable, they are often part of a wedding party and we have to do everything we can to make them feel comfortable with what is going on. Exclusive Italy Wedding Planners are not only experienced and talented Designers but above all mothers of small children. For this reason, we never underestimate the role of babies and kids in the events we plan.

Bride and Groom decide if they want to include children or not. Yes, it is their decision and everybody must respect it. It isn’t proper etiquette to have your instructions printed on the invitations, therefore we recommend that Bride and Groom kindly inform their guests, personally, about their decision of allowing children or not.

When we plan our Weddings we ask our couples to inform us if there are children attending, and we always ask names and ages to better understand their needs: high chairs, child-care, room with facilities, special menus, and special entertainment may be necessary. All our events are customized and we look into this very carefully, since indeed large families – and large groups in particular – often bring many children. But even if it is a matter of having a few of them, they deserve all our attention.

Every wedding is a unique Day, a truly special day that must be fully enjoyed and this is possible if children receive the attention they deserve, play an appropriate part for their age and find a welcoming atmosphere and a suitable area where they can simply be children.

Here are some of the things we recommend:


1. Children’s Table. On a Children’s table crayons, white sheets of paper, and books are a must. They can be accompanied by many other interesting things such as toys, stuffed animals, Lego puzzle, air balloons, bubbles, and more. Sweets and candies should not be available from the beginning to avoid that kids eat them all prior to the meal, ignoring genuine food!  A funny table will definitely keep them seated for a long while after they have had their favourite food. This will make it easier for them to wait for the dessert!

2. Kid’s menu. This is another important aspect to be discussed with all parents. Parents know exactly what their kids love to eat, carefully pass their instructions to your Wedding Planner. Italian cuisine offers many alternatives. Here is a sample Children menu:

 Mozzarella and Ham
***
Pasta with tomatoes
***
Chicken cutlet and French fries
***
Ice cream
Beverages: water and soft drinks

3. Assistance. If you have a group of children on a table, assign them a Helper, who can be a member of the wedding party or someone your Wedding Planner can hire locally. They will keep an eye on them or hang out and play with them. And of course make sure that there is NO escape route out into the pool, car park, road, elevators, etc.!


4. Clothes. Children must eat, run around, play, dance, and get wet or dirty. Parents should always bring a change of clothes to allow their kids the freedom to do what they like without the fear of ruining nice clothes.


5. Spontaneity. Don’t force kids to play a role like walking down the aisle (or bringing rings or throwing petals) if they don’t want to. There is always a way to turn all this into a nice game to do together with an adult! It won’t be perfect but it will probably be cute and entertaining.  They will surprise everybody!


6. Rest. Depending on the age of kids and the time of ceremony and banquet, always remember they might fall asleep or need a nap. Our Wedding Planners will recommend the right solution according to the venue selected and the age of the children.

Selecting the right venue for your banquet, when many children are attending is of vital importance. We suggest avoiding historical cities, exclusive and formal restaurants, or too sophisticated villas or palaces. Better choosing the countryside or castles and villas with private parks. Most of our banquet venues are child-friendly. Here are some of our lovely child-friendly venues, anyway your Wedding Planner can recommend more!


AMALFI COAST
Private properties with gardens are good playgrounds for “Capture the Flag” or “Blind man’s buff”!
  1. Villa Cimbrone, Ravello
  2. Villa Eva, Ravello
  3. Hotel Caruso, Ravello

TUSCANY

Most of the venues around the Tuscan countryside would be perfect for a wedding with many children!
We welcome families with children and will provide all the help to create the right environment. All in all, be patient with children, let them experience what they like most, get dirty and happy, keeping an attentive and loving eye on them. This is the secret!


For more information on child-friendly venues in Italy, do not hesitate to contact us.

Liana

CREDITS:

Photography: Cristiano Ostinelli ©.

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