Keeping your tipi wedding child and pet friendly

Whether you’re looking to have children at your Tipi wedding or include your pet in some way, there’s changes you need to factor in, if you want your Tipi wedding to go smoothly. Here’s our top advice for keeping your Tipi wedding child and pet friendly.

Opt for a morning or mid-afternoon wedding

No one wants a stroppy, tired young child at their wedding, and a tired child can be a handful. Pets are no different! They tend to spend most of their time resting, so a wedding and mixing with a lot of people can be overwhelming and tiring. If you opt for a morning or mid-afternoon wedding, young children are more likely to have had a decent sleep – plus the weather can be cooler for them to contend with.

Think about the food

If you’re looking to include children and pets at your Tipi wedding, you need to think about feeding them. Not all children are going to want a formal meal, and not all of your guests are going to appreciate having a pet around whilst they eat. Setting up a dedicated children’s table gives you an opportunity to create a really cute area specifically for the children – complete with finger-buffet or child-friendly foods. You can also set up a dedicated eating area for your pet too, either with or near you, so you can keep an eye on them.

Choose child and pet friendly flowers

Avoid chrysanthemums, hydrangea, irises and berries, as young children and dogs are good at putting things they shouldn’t in their mouths. Calla lilies can cause skin irritation, whilst certain other types of lily are toxic to animals.

Hire a babysitter and/or pet handler

It’s becoming increasingly common to hire a babysitter or childminder to watch and entertain the children during the day. The same applies to your pet – hire someone to keep an eye on them. Not only does it help prevent them sneakily licking the wedding cake, it also ensures they’re not bored or lonely.

Keep your Tipi wedding decor child and pet friendly

Tealights, votives and candelabras aren’t great when you have children or pets around. Not only can they be easily knocked over, they can burn too. It’s also important to think about tall decorations, such as table centrepieces or pillars with flowers on – as they run the risk of getting run into and knocked over!

Keep them entertained

Children and pets alike can get bored, especially if left to their own devices. And, as any parent knows, that’s when they’re most likely to get into mischief. You need to factor this into your entertainment plan, so you can plan child and/or pet friendly games to keep them occupied. Crayons and card for the children and a nice long-lasting chewy treat for your pet, are simple options, as is a simple scavenger hunt.

Have a quiet area

Weddings can be a long day for children and pets. They’ll understandably want (or need!) a quiet area to calm down, rest and be away from the crowd. This is why a quiet area is a great idea. It can be a totally separate room or tent, where they can settle down on comfy seating, have a little nap, play a few quiet games or watch a bit of TV.

If you’re looking to include children and pets at your Tipi wedding, you need to ensure you’re bringing them into an environment that is safe, as well as something they’ll actually enjoy. By following the simple tips above, you’ll have covered the basics – and made some headway to keeping owners and parents happy too!