Do you think it's acceptable for someone to request "no children" at their wedding?
Well, there was actually a huge debate about it on Twitter.
It all started when Alice, who goes by the username @Backpainandwine, tweeted this:
Probably going to get slated for this, but people are perfectly entitled to request no children at their weddings.
The tweet blew up and gained over 166,000 likes, prompting hundreds of people to give their opinion on the matter.
Many people agreed with Alice, including one person who argued that since wedding invites are sent so far ahead of time, parents have sufficient time to coordinate for childcare.
@Backpainandwine Wedding notice is given well in advance. No excuse for not being able to find a sitter or family member to watch the sprogs.
One person also brought up a good point: weddings are expensive.
@Backpainandwine 100% agree. I have children and still didn't invite children to our wedding other than our own and those of immediate family. There's also a cost element to it! Nobody should tell anybody who they should/shouldn't invite to their own wedding!
Someone who worked in wedding planning also gave a nod to the "no-kid" rule.
@Backpainandwine As a wedding coordinator for many years In my opinion The parents don't want their young kids there The bride/ groom feel pressure to have them there The kids bloody hate the whole day as they are surrounded by ppl they have never met Yes .. No kids is a viable option
And someone else concurred and reflected positively on their own wedding experience.
@Backpainandwine We had that rule at ours. My nieces and nephews had fun days with their grandparents and my siblings had a kid free day and were delighted. The only children allowed were those still being breastfed. We didn’t receive a single complaint from any of our guests.
However, some people also disagreed with Alice.
@Backpainandwine The best weddings I’ve been to have had children at them.
Someone even shared that they wish they had allowed kids to come to their nuptials.
@Backpainandwine 42 years ago we went that route, and two of our best friends decided not to come to our wedding. We've regretted it ever since, the more so since we had our own children and realised how we would feel if we got a similar invitation.
Others had more nuanced takes, including one person who essentially argued "to each their own."
@Backpainandwine They are entitled to, I just find it totally and utterly weird. Weddings are about family and surely that means children. Weddings are about all generations, about renewal, about love.
And finally, another person contended that couples are entitled to request no children at their weddings just as much as guests are entitled to decline the invitation.
@Backpainandwine Yes they are. But if people are then unable to come because they don’t have childcare, then the bride and groom can’t complain.