How to Include Children and Family in Your Sarasota Beach Wedding
Your wedding ceremony is about the two of you—but that doesn't mean it has to be only about the two of you.
Some of the most meaningful Sarasota beach weddings we've coordinated have included parents, children, grandparents, siblings, and close friends in small but incredibly special ways.
A mother reading a few meaningful words. A bride walking down the aisle with both parents. Children standing beside their parents during the ceremony. A chair reserved for someone deeply loved who can no longer be there.
These moments don't require elaborate planning.
Sometimes the simplest gestures become the ones everyone remembers.
Here are some of my favorite ways to include the people you love in your beach wedding ceremony.
Let the Kids Be Part of Your Wedding
If children are important in your life, I believe they belong in your ceremony.
They don't need to behave like miniature adults.
They may walk down the aisle perfectly.
Or they may stop halfway down.
They may forget what they're supposed to do, drop something, start talking, decide they don't want to stand where we put them, or suddenly become fascinated by the sand.
That's okay.
We work around them.
Parents of young children sometimes spend the entire ceremony worried that their child is making noise or somehow disrupting the wedding.
I always tell them to relax.
Children have a wonderful way of breaking the tension everyone naturally feels when they're trying to make a wedding perfect. A child does something innocent and unexpected, everyone laughs, and suddenly people relax.
Those little unscripted moments can make a ceremony feel even more genuine.
Give Children a Special Job
If a child enjoys participating, giving them a small responsibility can make them feel like an important part of the wedding.
Depending on their age, children can:
Be a flower girl or ring bearer
Carry a small sign
Walk a parent or grandparent down the aisle
Carry flowers
Participate in a sand ceremony
Read a short passage
Stand beside the couple
Help present something meaningful during the ceremony
But don't put too much pressure on them.
If your three-year-old flower girl decides five minutes before the ceremony that she absolutely will not walk down the aisle, your wedding will still be beautiful.
I promise.
A Little Advice About the Rings
Speaking of ring bearers...
You don't necessarily have to give the actual wedding rings to a very young child.
You can give them decorative rings, an empty ring box, or simply let them have the title and keep the real rings safely with a responsible adult.
And while we're talking about responsible adults, I have another piece of advice:
Make sure someone knows exactly where those rings are before the ceremony begins.
We've learned that one from experience!
Include Your Children in a Blended-Family Ceremony
When one or both partners have children from previous relationships, the wedding can represent something much bigger than two people getting married.
It's also the beginning of a new family.
Children can participate in a family sand ceremony, receive a small keepsake, join the couple for part of the vows, or simply stand with their parents during a meaningful portion of the ceremony.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
The important thing is that the child feels included rather than feeling like they're watching something happen around them.
Let Mom Have Her Moment Too
Traditionally, the father of the bride gets one of the most visible roles in a wedding: walking his daughter down the aisle.
But Mom is pretty important too.
I've seen how meaningful it can be when a mother is invited to do a short reading or participate in another part of the ceremony.
It doesn't have to be long.
Sometimes just a few sentences give her a special moment and allow her to feel involved in a way she'll always remember.
Walk Down the Aisle With Both Parents
There's also no rule saying only one parent can walk you down the aisle.
Some of our couples choose to walk with both parents, and it's such a sweet thing to see.
Wedding traditions are wonderful when they're meaningful to you.
But you don't have to follow a tradition simply because that's how weddings have always been done.
It's your ceremony.
You can create traditions that reflect your own family.
Ask Someone Special to Do a Reading
A reading is one of the easiest ways to involve someone you love.
It could be:
A parent
Grandparent
Sibling
Adult child
Best friend
Godparent
Someone who played an important role in your relationship
The reading doesn't have to be religious or formal.
It could be a poem, a short passage about marriage, a meaningful quote, or something written specifically for the couple.
Choose something that sounds like you.
Remember Loved Ones Who Have Passed Away
Weddings can be emotional because they're one of those days when we especially notice the people who should be there but aren't.
There are beautiful, simple ways to honor them.
Couples sometimes bring:
A framed photograph
Flowers
A small keepsake
A handwritten message
Something meaningful that belonged to the person
These items can be placed on a chair during the ceremony.
At our weddings, we save them the best seat.
They may not physically be standing beside you, but there's nothing wrong with making space for their memory on such an important day.
Include Grandparents Whenever Possible
Grandparents can have wonderful roles in weddings.
A grandparent might escort someone down the aisle, participate in a reading, offer a blessing, or simply receive a special acknowledgment during the ceremony.
If mobility is a concern, don't immediately assume a grandparent can't attend a beach wedding.
Beach wheelchairs with large tires can be rented in the Sarasota area, and some companies can deliver them directly to the beach.
Sometimes a little planning makes it possible for someone incredibly important to be there.
Take Photos With Young Children First
Here's one practical tip I've learned over the years:
Take important photographs involving very young children early.
Little kids have a limited amount of patience.
They're dressed in unfamiliar clothes, standing outside, surrounded by people, and being asked to smile at someone holding a camera.
Eventually, they've had enough.
If there are important photographs you want with small children, tell your photographer and try to get those pictures first.
Then, if your toddler decides the wedding is officially over for them, you've already captured the photographs that matter most.
Your Wedding Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
I think social media has made couples feel as though every wedding moment should look perfectly styled.
Real weddings aren't like that.
Someone laughs at the wrong time.
A child runs toward Mom.
The wind moves the bride's veil.
Someone cries when they weren't expecting to.
A little boy decides he'd rather play in the sand than pose for another photograph.
And you know what?
That's the wedding.
Those aren't necessarily things going wrong.
They're your people being themselves while celebrating one of the most important days of your life.
💙 From Lu's Experience
Parents of young children are often so worried during weddings.
They're afraid their child will make noise, wander around, cry, or somehow ruin the ceremony.
I always tell them:
Please relax.
We have children. We love children. And we work around them.
If those kids are at your wedding, it's because they're important to you. We want them to be part of your special day.
I've actually found that children can be the best icebreakers during a ceremony.
Everyone is tense. The couple is nervous. Parents are emotional. People are trying very hard to make everything perfect.
Then a child does something completely innocent and unexpected.
Everyone laughs.
And suddenly the entire ceremony feels more relaxed.
Some of my favorite wedding moments have happened that way.
Your wedding doesn't need perfectly behaved children.
It needs the people you love.
— Lu, Owner of Plan My Beach Wedding
Create a Ceremony That Feels Like Your Family
There is no single correct way to have a wedding ceremony.
Walk with Dad.
Walk with Mom.
Walk with both.
Let your children stand beside you.
Give Grandma a reading.
Save a chair for someone you're missing.
Let your little flower girl change her mind halfway down the aisle.
The most meaningful ceremonies aren't necessarily the ones that follow every tradition perfectly.
They're the ones that feel like the people getting married.
At Plan My Beach Wedding, we help couples create beautiful, stress-free ceremonies on Siesta Key, Lido Beach, and Sarasota's Gulf Coast—and we're always happy to help you find meaningful ways to make your family part of your wedding day.
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