Weddings are meant to bring people together, but sometimes they reveal not just who's in; they also show who's out.
Reddit user Then-Dragonfruit-702 recently shared a story about her best friend's destination wedding. Originally child-free, the bride later decided to accept a few babies—but only under strict conditions, which she herself set for every guest individually. When the Redditor learned her baby wasn't welcome, she tried to reason with her friend, as it was really difficult for her to make arrangements that would allow her to leave the little one behind.
However, their bond turned out to be nowhere near as important as the ceremony.
A couple should be able to be in charge of their wedding
Image credits: Rawpixel / envato (not the actual photo)
But is it worth sacrificing lifelong friendships over it?
Image credits: drazenphoto / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Then-Dragonfruit-702
Vicki Psarias-Broadbent, author of the new children's book Greek Myths, Folktales & Legends, thinks both child-free and child-full weddings can be fun, but they have to be fair
Image credits: Honest Mum
We contacted Bored Panda's parenting expert and bestselling author Vicki Psarias-Broadbent, who is raising a teen, a tween, and a 3-year-old, and she believes "it's acceptable to have a child-free wedding, but I do feel you need to stick to it; having allowances for some to bring babies and not others will end up disgruntling guests and causing issues."
Psarias-Broadbent, who runs the critically acclaimed family blog Honest Mum and has just released a beautiful new book for a younger audience consisting of 20 Greek myths, says one common rule at weddings is called 'babes in arms,' and couples can explain on the invite (and/or other forms of communication) that, for example, children under 16 are not invited, but babies in arms are.
"Emotions run high at weddings, so limiting stress and confusion where possible will help everyone," she says.
According to Psarias-Broadbent, if the parents need to leave for a multi-day event, it can be tricky to leave the baby with someone overnight, especially if the mother is breastfeeding.
"Worries aside, it can also be expensive. I think the bride and groom need to establish what's important to them on their wedding day, and if potentially missing certain guests on the big day is not a worry, then enforce strict rules," Psarias-Broadbent says.
"I feel it's ideal to be a little flexible so you are reasonable without compromising on the day and your goals and vision as the hosts."
As her story went viral, the woman joined the discussion in the comment section
And she received a lot of different reactions, including some suggestions
