Planning a family-focused wedding means thinking beyond seating charts and playlists… sometimes couples choose to go child-free, but sometimes children do get involved.If children are part of your big day or your entire wedding weekend, we wanted to share some simple ways to make them feel included from the ceremony through breakfast the next morning.

With three nights on the estate to enjoy together at Ash Barton, there is plenty of room to weave the little ones into every part of the celebration.

Give Them a Role in the Big Day

Children love feeling useful, especially on a day that is all about the people they love the most. A ring bearer, a flower girl or boy, or a short reading during the ceremony gives them a proper job to do, not just a seat to sit still in. Or perhaps, older children might enjoy being a “junior best man” or helping the wedding party get ready that morning.

Ash Barton’s Old Chapel and walled garden both work well for this. The aisle is short enough that even a nervous four-year-old can manage it, and there is plenty of space nearby for a quiet moment if anyone needs one. Giving a child a role during a family event, rather than leaving them to watch from the sidelines, even gets linked to the development of prosocial behaviours, like being considerate of others’ feelings.

Set up a Kids’ Corner in One of the Barns

Speeches and canapés are lovely, but they are not always thrilling for the under-tens. Setting up a small corner in the Games Barn with colouring sheets, building blocks and a few games gives children something to do during the parts of the day built for adults.

Our Games Barn is also well equipped to entertain children and teens of all ages, regardless of their interests. With a heated indoor swimming pool, trampoline and a broad variety of table games, there’s something for everyone. 

Outside, a low table, some cushions and a basket of activities is often all it takes. If your group includes several families, consider asking one relative to keep a half-eye on the corner during dinner so parents can relax through the speeches without constantly checking over their shoulders.

Let the Little Ones Join the Games

Don’t worry, family-friendly does not mean scaled back. Think lawn games on the wildflower meadow, an afternoon by the swimming pool or a relaxed match in the snooker room all work for mixed ages, and children tend to love being included in something that looks like a grown-up activity.

Giant Jenga, croquet and a simple treasure hunt around the courtyard are all easy wins. Splitting everyone into teams, adults and children together, turns that afternoon into something the whole group remembers, rather than a separate kids’ programme running alongside the main event.

Model a Calm and Happy Wedding Weekend

Planning a family-inclusive wedding weekend can take effort, and it is easy for your own well-being to slip down the list while you are busy making sure everyone else is having a good time. Don’t be afraid to delegate a few tasks to a trusted relative or friend, rather than carrying the whole weekend yourself. It can make a noticeable difference to how present you feel once the day arrives.

Your own sense of calm tends to set the tone for your family in the run-up to the wedding, and that’s just as essential for a parent planning a family wedding as it is for anyone else juggling children and a long to-do list. A short walk around the grounds or a quiet moment with a cup of tea can act as a helpful reset.

Make the Most of Your Nights Together

A three-night stay at Ash Barton gives you enough time to relax and enjoy the festivities. Make the most of your time together with small, meaningful moments. A family breakfast the morning after, out on the patio if the weather allows, is a moment guests will remember most fondly.

A lively scavenger hunt across the estate grounds, from the wildflower meadow to the stables, gives children something to look forward to on the second day. It also provides the adults in your group with a chance to catch up.

Build a Family Tradition to Treasure

A wedding weekend is a natural moment to start something that carries on well beyond the day itself. Try planting something in the walled garden, filling a shared scrapbook across the three nights or starting a small toast that gets repeated at every family gathering afterwards all work well.

These small rituals have the potential to matter more than they might seem. Research on family ritual communication has found that it strengthens family intimacy and resilience over time, giving children a stronger thread of belonging that carries well past the wedding weekend itself. Something as simple as a shared breakfast tradition, started at Ash Barton, might end up being the part everyone talks about years later.

Create a Wedding Weekend Your Children Will Remember

Involving children in a family-focused wedding can be easy. A meaningful role in the ceremony, a comfortable corner to retreat to and a few relaxed activities across your three nights together go a long way.

At With Ash Barton, the extra time and space will make it easy to build a weekend that the whole family, little ones included, will remember fondly for years.

Author Bio: Oscar Collins is the editor-in-chief of Modded. He’s written in the wedding space for over five years with bylines at Wedgewood Weddings, Wedding Day Online, NST Pictures and similar publications. Follow him on X @Tmodded for frequent updates on his work.