Essential Guide To Taking Your Baby To A Wedding

The Wedding Edition Editor and Co-Founder (and mother) Kendra Leaver-Rylah shares her baby and toddler essentials for braving the wedding season this year with their list of essentials she couldn’t have lived without for those big-day moments and their little (and sometimes loud) ones. The main anxiety around weddings and babies tends to be the crying during key moments like the ceremony and speeches so you want to make sure you have everything together and covered so you minimise any stress. This guide will ensure you have everything you need to navigate those first foggy events with a newborn to managing tantrums with a toddler and keeping them feeling centre of attention. From choosing the perfect travel cot for weddings abroad to deciding which outfit is perfect for breastfeeding in, to the best baby carriers – no item has been overlooked. Here is your essential guide to Bringing Your Baby to a Wedding.

OUTFITS 

Whatever the price tag, you can’t deny the appeal of that show-stopping baby outfit to see your little ones through the wedding season. From pretty smocks and florals for younger ones, cashmere blazers for boys, to breezy whimsical dresses for those who are a little bit older, we’ve rounded up some of our favourites. It is also worth packing baby ear defenders to protect their tiny ear drums and to help them get to sleep so that you can have a dance! 

GIRLS

BOYS

NURSING

Breast pumps, nipple cream and hard core breast pads are all worth considering to help you with feeding on these big occasions. 
Ideally the Elvie will come to your aid at big events – with its electric hands-free breast pump it has revolutionised pumping with its discreet design and smart app. It stores data so you can track things like the time since your last pump, and the amount of milk you pumped in a session plus no one will know it’s in there. If your conscious of breastfeeding make your muslins go further by buying swaddle size – that way they can serve as a blanket, cover, swaddle, milk sick protector or a nursing cover when needed. It also cuts down on the amount of stuff you need to think about packing in order to leave the house.

BUGGIES

Invest in a pram that will grow with your baby, serving as a bassinet in the early weeks, and later a comfy chair for walks, naps and daily journeys. Your stroller should be compact enough for your car, and must be able to handle the environment in which you intend to use it. Also super important with Autumn or winter weddings to have the correct layers, we love this special Green Gingham Check Daisy Foldable Pushchair Footmuff from The Five of Us – not only for affordability but style credentials too.

BABY CARRIERS

There’ll be many moments when you want your hands free, but the baby does not want to be put down. A good supportive baby carrier can help to solve this conundrum. They’re not just for walks or buggy-free hands for that canape or glass of champagne, but baby carriers are a lifesaver if you have a baby that needs calming, a contact nap or soothing during the “witching hour” at a wedding. Our favourites below –

CHANGING MAT, NAPPIES AND NAPPY BAGS

You’ll get through a lot of nappies. Make sure they fit well and are soft on your baby’s skin, to make them as comfortable as possible. Equally as important is the changing bag you keep the nappies in when you’re out and about. Lots of storage and compartments are key and most importantly don’t forget nappy bags as its (very) unlikely there will be nappy bins at the wedding!

DUMMIES AND TEETHING TOYS

Dummies can help to settle cranky babies for that key moment when your loved ones are walking down the aisle, and teething toys can soothe irritated gums. Personal choice comes into the equation here, but if you’re shopping for soothers, start with these simple, BPA-free teat-shaped dummies.

COTS/SLEEP

Newborns might be small, but they require a lot of equipment even at events. A sleep pod like Dockatot for daytime naps is almost essential so that your baby doesn’t spend the whole day in the pram and perfect for destination weddings so you can pop them in the shade. Bedding is key to creating the optimal sleep environment for a better rest for your baby (and you). Invest in soft, temperature controlling sleeping bags, and extra layers of blankets as the evening gets later and cooler or muslins for sleep on the go and hot wedding days. If your staying over SNOO is a smart cot that rocks your baby to sleep, keeping them settled for longer and is perfect if you’re attending a wedding at a venue where you can pop it inside with a baby monitor. It also compiles data, allowing you to track your little one’s sleep patterns.

TRAVELLING ABROAD

The key to travelling for a wedding abroad with your child is: prepare, prepare, prepare! If at all possible arrange your flights there and back around nap times (resist that reasonable flight that gets into Stanstead at 11pm – it won’t be worth it!) always arrive early to the airport and consider and prepare well for your final destination.

GIRLS OUTFITS

BOYS OUTFITS

OUTFITS FOR YOU

There’s so much choice at the best of times, so if you’re a new mum who has chosen to breastfeed and is therefore looking for functional fashion at a wedding, choices can be a bit of a nightmare. To help, we’ve scoured high and low for brilliant dresses that are practical and chic to get you through.

Related Articles: What to Wear to a Wedding When Your Pregnant