Gift them with something during ceremony

Who doesn’t love gift giving? Traditionally the bride and groom exchange gifts to one another on the morning of the wedding day. If you are planning on having your children at your elopement ceremony a great way to make them feel special is by gifting them with something during the ceremony. We have seen necklaces, watches, or even just something small that holds significance to the parents and children.

Have them do a reading if they are older

If the children are at an age where they are comfortable reading out loud, giving them a poem, bible verse, or any special reading can make them feel a part of the elopement ceremony.

Have them assist in handing the rings to you guys

This may seem like a small task but giving your child the task of holding the rings and handing them to the couple or officiant during the ceremony can feel like a very important job to a kid. If they are super young and you worry they may drop or lose the rings you can always give them faux rings in place of the real ones and have the officiant hold the real rings and switch them out discreetly.

Have them help with the post-elopement ceremony cake cutting

At a lot of elopements we do what we call a “mini reception”. This is where we incorporate some of the aspects of a larger wedding into the day, just smaller scale. Having your child help you and your partner cut the first piece of cake together is always so much fun for them. You can even feed your little one a bite of the cake after you feed each other !

Have sparkling apple cider for them on hand to enjoy a “toast” with you in celebration after the ceremony

Who doesn’t love a good bottle of champs to commemorate your marriage ceremony?! Instead of just having a bottle of bubbly you can grab a bottle of sparkling apple cider for your children to join in the post elopement ceremony toast. Cheers newlyweds!

Have them walk you down the aisle

If you have decided to keep your elopement super intimate and you do not have a parent there to walk you down the aisle you can always have one ( or more) of your children walk you down the aisle.

Have them help you get ready before the wedding ceremony

Some of my favorite moments as a wedding planner were always peeping in to where the bride and groom are getting ready and taking it all in. Children love to feel a part of the getting ready process on the morning of the wedding. If you have a little girl they always LOVE getting their hair and “makeup” done with their mom. If you have a little boy you can have them help you tie a tie, spray cologne on you, and even help you get into your suit or wedding dress.

Make them a flower girl or ring bearer

Just because you are having an elopement or micro wedding does not mean you can’t have a ring bearer or flower girl. Instead of the traditional flower girl basket with petals we have seen floral hearts they can carry, a mini bridal bouquet, floral crowns, ring boxes, and cute signage!

If they are not able to be there at the ceremony have someone on your vendor team hold a phone or device so they can Facetime or Skype with you while the ceremony is happening 

If you decide to do a true elopement and make it so it is just you and your partner you still can make your children a part of your wedding day even if they are not there in person. You can have a witness or someone that is a part of your vendor team hold your phone and Facetime/ Skype with them while the elopement ceremony is happening. You can always get a tripod to hold your phone if there is no one available to hold a phone.

If you have questions for us on whether or not it is suitable to have your children with you for your elopement we would love to help answer them! Contact us here