So I think the jury is still out on kids at weddings…some love them, some hate them, but as a mother I sure do appreciate the bride who welcomes kids AND provides entertainment for them! Typically my husband and I would just leave the kids home with a sitter for most affairs (like weddings) we have to attend, but when it is a family wedding that is usually not an option…all the relatives you only see once or twice a year want to see the kids, etc.
We went to such a wedding (reception) yesterday…congratulations to my cousin Karl and his beautiful wife Lana who got married in Italy a month or so ago…I saw the photos, it was so beautiful and romantic! Last night they hosted a White Wedding Reception at a Beach House in Capistrano Beach, CA, and all I can say is….WOW!
They asked all guests to dress in shades of white, all the decor was white, they had white flip flops (my daughter’s favorite…new shoes!) and a shoe rack for guest to swap out thier shoes and heels for more comfortable sand-friendly soles. There were beautiful flowing seating areas covered in sheer white fabric right on the sand for guests to sit and visit, catered wait staff as well as a taco stand, cold beer, hosted bar…a CANDY bar..yum! and full band and dance floor built right on the sand just steps from the water!
but my favorite part….tucked in the corner (but right in the middle of the party) were 3 small tables of crafts for kids to do…a bunch of Martha Stewart’s kits for puppets, some colored sand and shaped canisters for building pretty colorful decor and some bubbles, felt crafts, etc….my middle daughter who is 8 sat and did every single craft they offered…my purse was stuffed with crafts by the end of the night. My son, who is almost 2 years loved the bubbles and the sand….and the dancfloor. And my oldest daughter who is almost 10, at first thought the crafts were too “babyish” but sat down to at least help the baby and her sister and ended up making a few herself….I didn’t hear “I am bored” once the whole afternoon…it has got to be some kind of record! 
And my husband and I got to enjoy a few drinks and visiting with grown ups all while keeping within ear and eyeshot of the kids! Thanks Karl and Lana for such a great party!
