Just over 12 months ago we won a “hot stuff” award for an article about having children at weddings - Children at weddings: Acceptable or non acceptable? While planning our own wedding in the rainforest, I was surprised by the number of people who were against taking children to weddings. What really made me think though was a local Aboriginal dance troupe who said they didn’t usually do weddings because of the amount of alcohol (and drunken behaviour) that their young dancers may be exposed to.
From a child safety point of view, that dance troupe risk managed around exposing the children to excessive alcohol consumption, fights and abuse. Congratulations to them (commiserations to me as we didn’t get to have them as part of our wedding ceremony).
During our recent topsy turvy week of change and family needs, Paul and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I cannot speak for him but I am more in love with that man than the day I married him. We remember our wedding (the celebration lasted all weekend and was a full on family affair) with great fondness and guests still rave about the way we did it all.
Our wedding was child focused; different yet totally normal to us. Child safety remained uppermost in our minds as we planned and picked activities (the kids had organised and supervised activities). There was alcohol, there were two late nights and there was dancing into the wee hours – yet, there was always an over riding care for the kids around us all. We all had a ball with the adults and with the kids.
Child safety and child protection is a culture. Starting married life with an articulated expectation of child protection was a call that I found easy to make. Did you consider child safety or have children at your wedding? Why/why not?
Where we got married: The magnificent Mungalli Falls.
Our wedding invitations and updates were done via a blog site:
Wedding in the rainforest
Wow, Megan, your wedding in the rainforest looks and sounds divine.
Our wedding was very much a family affair, too. I had a feeling I was pregnant at the time (which was later confirmed!) and a lot of our guests were families with children.
We were married in a valley which was 4wd access only. Everything had to be chaffered there, including all of the guests, and because of these logistics most people camped o/n in the valley with us. Leaving the kids behind was never an option.
With a creek and a bonfire and lots of wildlife in mind, for everyone’s safety we chose to take only enough alcohol for a toast.
We celebrated with live music, lots of entertainment, great food and fabulous people. Our wedding was like our own family festival and it would not have been complete without children.
Ah Alison, we have much in common – not just my 3 yr old humour (your girls are so hilarious I often chuckle over their antics). We had the creek and bonfire too. I LOVE those sort of weddings.
I miss your husband for you Alison. I so wish he was still here to enjoy family life with you all. M(xxxxxxxxxxx)