Something every bride and groom simply can’t forget to include in their wedding plans are accommodations for the little tikes!  Many of my brides opt for destination weddings and most families will make your destination wedding a family vacation with the little ones in tow.  However, a continuously growing trend amongst brides is to indicate that children are not allowed despite my pleading for inclusion rather than exclusion.  Not every family is able to travel with a nanny to tend to the kids so it is important that a bride and groom consider the schedule of events and establish a fun itinerary for the kids.

Here are a few suggestions to help you prepare for entertaining the little ones just as comfortably as the big ones:

We pride ourselves on carefully orchestrating the experience of all guests that attend our weddings and have gone to great lengths to make sure even the smallest guests feel right at home.  To encourage a flower girl to make it down the aisle and stay occupied during a recent ceremony, we perched an adorable doll on the steps leading up the altar.  She was encouraged to go and get the surprise we had waiting for her.  This small gesture helped us coach her down the aisle and left her settled and satisfied during the rest of the ceremony.  For a set of twin boys at a recent wedding, their Mom had shared with us at the welcome reception that she was certain her princes would be artists so we bought ‘Etch-A-Sketch’s’ for them to exercise their artistic instincts during the reception.  Of course, we were smart enough not to buy any coloring crayons or markers that could have destroyed are fabulous custom linens.

What I now know for sure is that a thoughtful, experienced wedding planner understands that the perfect wedding celebration can only be deemed as perfect when everyone in the room has a great time and it is our job to ensure just that!

Keep spreading the love!

Your favorite Valentine,

Read More About the fabulous Ms. Diann Valentine

From humble beginnings to soaring above and beyond achieving her wildest dreams, internationally acclaimed wedding, event and interior designer Diann Valentine continues to turn fantasy into reality as this vivacious innovative mastermind gives couples around the world the wedding of their dreams. Valentine has also unveiled a collection of wedding invitations and stationery exclusively with Wedding Paper Divas to meet the under served needs of brides looking for a fresh perspective on their printed ensembles. Valentine is world renowned as the go-to wedding and event designer who takes classic traditions and gives them a modern and unique flare that sets her apart from anyone else in her industry. The incredibly sought-after and admired Valentine is the creative genius behind the jaw dropping weddings of Usher, Toni Braxton, Kelis, Lela Rochon, and Boyz II Men crooner Shawn Stockman just to name a few.

After giving wedding and event planning tips on “E! News Daily,” “ABC’s InStyle Celebrity Weddings Special” “Entertainment Tonight,” “CNN,” and “HGTV” as well as doing spreads in Brides Magazine, InStyle, USA Today and Essence, Valentine published her first book, Weddings Valentine Style. The gorgeous, vibrantly colored coffee table book, which features the laced back of Kelis’ stunning emerald and gold wedding dress on the cover, is a combination of beautiful pictorial essays, inspirational messages, and tips from the expert herself on how to achieve the wedding of one’s dreams with the use of colors and modern expression while staying true to the traditions the each individual bride holds dear to her heart. With the success of Weddings Valentine Style, Valentine is currently working on completing the series, this time around focusing on entertaining and interior design, specifically.