Weddings have rules, criteria—or whatever you want to call them—for a reason. It’s not just a general code of conduct and guidelines for wedding guests in general, but it also expresses what the newlyweds-to-be want. So, if a couple, say, wants a child-free wedding, it would be a jerk move to bring your kid along. But, surprisingly, folks still do.
A woman retold a story she read online about an incident that had happened at a child-free wedding where a kid hurt themselves badly and, instead of the parents taking responsibility for everything, decided to threaten with a lawsuit.
While weddings are a fun time of celebration, it can also be a dangerous one without the necessary precautions
Image credits: Jonathan Nenemann / Pexels (not the actual photo)
This commentary TikToker shared a tragic story explaining how lack of supervision makes weddings dangerous for kids
“This is why we say ‘no kids’ at weddings. I read an article today about a person who was having a child-free wedding, the bride and groom had agreed on it, they’d let all their guests know.”
Image credits: _cal_cifer
“One of their guests decided they weren’t going to be respectful, they weren’t going to pay attention. So they show up with their kid anyway, make a giant production at the venue about how they’re going to be allowed in with their kid, they are entitled to it yada yada.”
Image credits: _cal_cifer
“Getting to the venue, bride and groom let the kid in. Party starts, kid wanders off, parents are presumably partying, having fun. When suddenly nobody can find the child.”
Image credits: _cal_cifer
“Turns out this unsupervised child had wandered away and accidentally ran into a mirror. The mirror ended up falling on the child and severely injuring them. When the parents of the child realized what has happened, they, one, threatened to sue the venue for not having a proper supervision and then they decided to try and sue the bride and groom for having an unsupervised wedding.”
Image credits: _cal_cifer
“The child wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place. You demanded you bring them and then you couldn’t even keep your eyes on them.”
Image credits: _cal_cifer
“Weddings in general are just not safe places for children. It’s not a personal insult towards you.”
Here’s the full video explaining the story
@_cal_cifer This is an AWFUL tragedy that no one deserves. And it also could’ve been prevented. #childfreebychoice #childfreetiktok #childfreewedding #weddinghorrorstory ♬ original sound – Callie
A commentary TikToker by the name Callie (@_cal_cifer) shared about an article she read. The story goes that a couple was invited to the wedding, but it was child-free. Still, they (rather aggressively) insisted on including their kid and ended up bringing them along. They were, however, very negligent during the entire thing, which ultimately led to the kid wandering off.
The kid was later found severely hurt by a shattered mirror. In an update, it was clarified that the kid didn’t survive. And instead of taking responsibility for breaking not one, but two rules (the child-free and also neglecting their kid), they decided to threaten the venue and the newlyweds with a lawsuit for it.
While we were unable to track down the exact story of how and when that happened, there is a similar story reported where an Illinois boy was fatally crushed by a granite table at a wedding.
All things considered, the moral that Callie pushed is that weddings aren’t generally a safe place for kids. Drunk adults and lack of supervision are just two of many key factors justifying that. But also the number of folks in the comment section who experienced this or the disregard for the no kids rule only add to the plausibility of such a reality.
Image credits: Taha Samet Arslan / Pexels (not the actual photo)
It’s not to say wedding’s can’t be safe—they can, but involvement and supervision have to be in the equation
Stepping out of the “children” paradigm for a moment, weddings have the potential for danger in general. Lit candles and intoxication alone don’t mix. So, when you take into consideration how excited kids get at such events, especially if other kids are also present, there’s even more potential for danger.
However, there are tried remedies for this. The key here is to make sure your kids are busy and involved throughout the wedding. Things like photo scavenger hunts, photo booths with props, and a supervised children’s corner goes a long way to keeping the chaos under control.
Other things that the kids can get involved in is asking the DJ to mix in some kids songs so that they could share the dance floor with all the adults. And other personnel can be involved here too, especially if you have a kids corner. That same person might also provide entertainment, like they can teach magic tricks or they can host interactive games.
Whatever the case, the key is to make sure the kids are engaged in a safe environment.
So, what are your thoughts on any of this? What’s your experience with kids and weddings? Share your takes and stories in the comment section below!