Kid zone: How to make the wedding fun for young guests

For adults, your wedding may be a romantic event with tears of joy, glasses of champagne and hours on the dance floor. For kids, however, it often means a long day in an uncomfortable outfit, and no naptime.

Breaks and playtime are key to avoiding meltdowns and making it a fun day for your flower girl, ring bearer and other young guests.

"Having children being a part of the wedding party can be a game-changer for a wedding planner. I try to be a little more liberal with the wedding day schedule because with kids involved, anything is possible," says Amanda Lukefahr of Lukefield Special Events in Jackson. "They might walk down the aisle without an issue, or they may refuse. It's always a surprise, so I just tell the couple to expect the unexpected and to just go with it. It's not worth getting stressed out if the kids don't walk down the aisle on cue."

To avoid meltdowns, Lukefahr recommends having someone with the child for the entire day to keep him or her entertained, out of trouble, and in the right places at the right times. This could be a parent, grandparent or someone else close to the child. Bring treats, toys and games to keep the kids busy while they wait for photos to be taken, or whenever else they have downtime.

After the ceremony, many wedding parties head to a nearby park or downtown area to take photos before the reception -- this is a good opportunity to let kids play outside or find a quiet place for a nap, says Christine Simmons of The Party Wizards in Cape Girardeau.

One trend she's seeing is to section off an area of the reception hall and make it a "kid zone." Add child-size tables and chairs, books, toys and other fun doodads.

"That way the parents can easily see the kids, but the kids are doing their activities by themselves," says Simmons.

When Emily and Ryan Blattel got married in November, they provided coloring books, crayons and an I-Spy list to keep young guests entertained during the reception. Sara McMillan also provided coloring books for the kids at her wedding, but with a twist: she designed the books herself, featuring the story of the newly wedded couple. At Megan and Randy Speith's wedding, glow sticks and glow headbands were a huge hit with the kids.

Simmons has even seen couples provide a kids buffet featuring favorites like chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

Another option is simply to give children the night off.

"Weddings are a long day for kids. Once the ceremony is over and dinner is served, it's not a bad idea to arrange for a sitter for the rest of the evening," says Lukefahr. "This way, parents can enjoy the reception, especially if they are also in the wedding party."