I Think All Weddings Should Be Kid-Friendly, Whether the Bride Wants It or Not

Somewhere along the line, we as a society decided that brides and grooms would get whatever they wanted on their special day. While I think some of these requests are mostly acceptable, when it comes to inviting kids, in my opinion, some engaged couples have got the wrong idea. If you ask me, all weddings should allow kids to attend, even if that isn't exactly what the couple wants.

To me, by telling parents that their children are not welcome at a celebration, the brides might as well be telling parents that they themselves are not welcome. I've always thoguht that well-functioning families operate as a team, and it doesn't seem fair to leave only one person on the team out.

I've been to a fair number of weddings, and not once was my attention taken away from the revelry or admiring the bride's dress because of a kid. I've found the couple is always the center of attention, regardless of whether there's a little ragamuffin smelling flowers behind the ceremony. Most people don't pay attention to other people's kids at weddings except to occasionally "ooh" and "ahh" about how cute they are, then return to the dancing.

At this point in my life, most of my friends have at least one kid. If we got invite to a wedding, but were told we couldn't bring our son, I think all of my friends would feel slighted.

Instead, I think couples should leave the decision up to the parents on if they want to bring their child to the wedding. Of course, I'm not saying that children should go to all weddings, I just don't think the decision should be left to the bride and groom. Plus, I think most weddings would work out to be childless, anyways. Most parents I know would prefer to party hard and celebrate away from their children for one night!

When two of our best friends got married last year, there was no way in heck I was going to bring my son, even if I knew he would have been adorable in that tiny suit. To put it basically, I wanted to have fun and be drunk me, not parent me. Having a child at a wedding only impedes the fun of the parents, not the rest of the guests.

I'd like to believe that if a child were to scream or otherwise cause a fuss during the ceremony or reception, their parents would handle it. But if a wedding guest would be so thoughtless as to decide to ignore their children's behavior entirely, why are they the type of people getting invited in the first place?

Family weddings prove especially difficult, since most additional babysitting and care is done by family members like aunts and grandparents. However, when the whole family is attending a wedding and kids aren't allowed, this is in essence a disingenuous invitation, one that I won't be able to accept.

For those who argue that parents should just have to get a babysitter, that is a costly and sometimes uncomfortable option. At an average rate of $15 an hour, and assuming at least five hours for the wedding, this bill adds up. That's not even taking into consideration a destination wedding, where you might be dependent on word of mouth to find someone you trust. Parents should not have to incur this cost just because a couple is worried about kids being present at their wedding.

When I go to a wedding, I want to have fun, honor the love being celebrated, and dance my ass off. Of course, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that my son has a trusted and loved relative to watch him, but sometimes that just can't be the case. I don't want to have to worry about whether or not my son is in danger because he's with a stranger. What it comes down to for me is that I like to know that if I'm willing to drive hundreds of miles to, and spend hundreds of dollars on, someone's wedding, they'll welcome my whole family with open arms.

Editor's Note: This piece was written by a POPSUGAR contributor and does not necessarily reflect the views of POPSUGAR Inc. Interested in joining our POPSUGAR Voices network of contributors from around the globe? Click here.