5 Tips for Toddler Ringbearers

Nic had the honor of being a part of my sister-in-law’s wedding this weekend.  I was nervous about him behaving during the ceremony and staying awake for the party, but things went (almost) perfectly!  Here are some tips:Toddler wedding garb isn't limited to stiff tuxedos. Check out my stylish little man!

1. Dress for success.  Even grown men don’t like to wear tuxes.  I knew that with a late July wedding, the threat of major heat was real and I didn’t want Nic sweltering in pants and a jacket.  A little Googling, and I came across the cutest (and super affordable!) ensemble for him.  Shorts and short sleeves made for a happy baby.
2. He won’t actually walk with the flower girl.  After saving Jennifer’s nephew from a mid-aisle meltdown at her wedding, I knew that sending Nic down the aisle with the flower girl was pie-in-the-sky.  We opted for a practical, but non-traditional game plan, and I walked him down the aisle while daddy coaxed him from the alter (we were both in the wedding too).
3. Churches are quiet!  I was pretty confident that Nic wouldn’t cry during the ceremony (he’s not a big crier), but I hadn’t realized how totally silent he’d need to be.  Luckily, we enlisted some close family in the front pew to bring a bag of fun new goodies and I passed Nic over to them as soon as he started to peep.  Hint: An old calculator is like gold to a toddler!
4. Sqeaky shoes.  I accidentally bought Nic saddle shoes with squeakers in them.  Luckily, I was able to pop the squeakers out for the ceremony, but I got a good nervous laugh from the bride during the rehearsal when I set him down in his “wedding shoes” and he squeaked with every step.  I also put the squeakers back in for the reception, which was a big hit.
5. Roll with it.  I put Nic down to sleep in a spare room right off of the reception area at about 9 pm.  After about 45 minutes of frenetic dancing and champagne drinking, the photographer let me know that Nic was up (I had checked on him earlier and he was asleep).  It turns out that not only was he awake, but he learned to zip himself out of his Peapod travel tent.  The good news was that he was happy as a clam, so I took my diaper-clad baby back out into the party and he danced with me and his Papa until the end of the night.

Comments

[Jennifer Nichols Parnell]

Sounds like a major success! Dom looks cute as a button and you look beautiful! So happy for Shirine - thanks for sharing!

[Melanie]

Thanks for the calculator tip! My son is playing with one now, calls it "his iPod". Oh, this digital age we live in...

He was ringbearer in a wedding last month, it was a cool day so the suit pants/shirt/jacket didn't bother him. He was super excited about wearing his tie, but had to be bribed with jellybeans to put on the corsage... He walked with the flower girl b/c she is a friend of ours and he already knew her and loves playing with her. He did take the admonition to "walk slowly" very seriously, I think it took him/her longer to walk up the aisle than it took the whole rest of the wedding party LOL. The hardest part was the waiting around afterwards for photos. It would have been nice to have the photos including the flower girl/ringbearer to happen first, then the full group photos, so that the kids could then run around and not have to worry about getting crud on their shoes or grass on their pants (the photos were taken in a local park).

I can imagine how squeaky shoes would have been a ton of fun, maybe not for the bride, but for everyone else!

[Alex]

Nathalee, these are great tips! Sounds like everything went great. Wonderful job just going with the flow. And I love the picture. Beautiful Mommy with a handsome little boy. So cute!