Happy Tiny Tuesday!! Y’all, how stinking cute are these dresses? Chicwish is one of my favorite brands for women’s clothing – on-trend, affordable, and well-made. And just recently they starting making children’s clothing! Yes, shipping takes a bit so if you order something make sure you have time to wait. However, the price is so good – under $50 for each dress. And for a formal-type dress, that’s actually a good deal I’m finding out.
This past weekend our cousin got married at the most beautiful venue – Dove Ridge Vineyard. Emma Grace was a flower girl and Abby was my little sidekick. I knew that Emma Grace would do well during the ceremony, but I truthfully had no idea how they would both handle a full weekend of weddings festivities. I mean two late nights in a row – rehearsal and wedding, pictures, dinners, loud music, it’s kind of a lot for a 2 and 4 year old.
I also knew that Abigail would be the most difficult piece at 2 years old. So, I tried to plan out as much as I could in advance. I wanted to not only get through the ceremony without tears or screaming, but help them last through the night and have fun! For the most part, the tips we used for attending a wedding with toddlers worked! We were kind of shocked, but it was such a fun family night for us!
TIPS FOR SURVIVING A WEDDING WITH TODDLERS:
- talk them through it – I do this a lot with my girls so they aren’t caught off guard. For days leading up to the wedding, I talked through the outline of the night over and over. I made each part sound magical and gave as many details as I could. I also talked through the “next thing” for each part of the night the day of the wedding. For example, I would say things like “and next is the ceremony, Abby. And remember, we have to be so quiet so everyone can hear the bride. This is the most special part of the evening….blah blah blah.” This helps them anticipate not only what is to come, but what is expected of their behavior. I also talked them through things I knew would bother them like the loud music.
- candy – I can thank my mom for this tip. We knew the ceremony was going to be around 30 minutes, which meant Abby was going to have to be still and quite for around 30 minutes. Major challenge. However, I came bearing gifts. I had a small bag full of skittles. Every time Abby got fidgety or started to talk I bribed her with one skittle. It was like feeding a bird – one lowly skittle at a time. But hey, it worked! It kept her quiet the whole ceremony. I don’t love pumping my kids full of sugar, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
- have an exit strategy – this seems like a give, but you gotta think through these things. Trav and I planned an exit strategy for him and Abby for the ceremony. We sat strategically on the end and knew exactly where Trav would walk if Abby started melting. Yes, we chose Trav as the parent for this job because the way out was via grass and I had heels on.
- sippy cups – this seems like a random tip, but there’s a lot of glass at a nice wedding. My girls are pretty careful, but I don’t trust them to not break a nice glass or to not spill on themselves. So, I brought a sippy cup for Abby and a water bottle with a lid for Emma to use the night of the wedding.
- extra shoes – this was a last minute decision and I’m so glad I did this. I brought an extra pair of shoes for each girl. Even though they were both wearing shoe they’d worn before, you never know how someone’s feet will feel after a full day. Emma Grace ended up getting a blister in hers and changed into her extra pair. So glad we had this option instead of a night of tears.
- extra clothes – much like the reason above, things happen. Whether it’s spilling on themselves or having an accident, you want to be prepared. My girls didn’t end up needing an extra pair of clothes, but I had it in case.
- games/toys – we didn’t do this, but I have read about a lot of parents doing this. We knew they would be entertained with family and friends and opted not to bring toys. We also wanted them to learn to be present and speak with adults.
- bring PJs – this tip made life so easy when we got home. Both after the rehearsal dinner and the reception, we changed the girls into their PJs before getting in the car. This way, all we had to do when we got home was simply carry them inside and put them in their beds. Another tear-saver.
girls’ dresses: chicwish c/o
photography: fort lion studio
