GrownUps New Zealand

Including children when planning a golden years wedding

Wedding rings hanging on rope over a dirty canvas background

Dating, falling in love and getting married in your golden years is a fantastic adventure.  You are both mature adults, with storied life experiences and, most likely, large establish families. You probably have adult children with their own children, or children who are at least in their teen years. You want to make sure that you involve all your children and grandchildren in planning the wedding, no matter how large or small it is.

Planning a Traditional Wedding

If you are considering a larger, more traditional wedding, there are plenty of activies adult sons and daughters can take part in to help plan your wedding and make the big day a fun, successful one. Having them part of the planning and organising will also make them feel involved and part of your special day.

If you are having a larger, more traditional wedding and have older daughters, they could:

If you have younger daughters, they can also help by:

If you have adult sons, then they can help with things such as:

If you have sons who are a bit younger, they can also help by:

Planning a Smaller Wedding

Revel in the glory of being 50, as being this “old” and wise has its benefits, the first one being that you do not have to be a slave to tradition. You are both old enough to understand and wise enough to know better and, as such, you both my want to do things differently by not having a traditional wedding but instead, a smaller, civil wedding. Even if this is true, hiring a wedding planner to work with your children can help make the day go more smoothly than planning the wedding alone.

With a civil wedding, there may not be as many details as a large, formal affair, but there are still many details not to be overlooked.  Involving your children with the planning and execution is a great way for all members of the family to help and be involved.  For your daughters, they can help pick out what Mum will wear on the big day, help arrange the civil service, find the Justice of the Peace, and send invitations for the after wedding party – a party the wedding planner can plan for you. If you have sons, then they could help secure the limousine, help with the wedding music for the after the wedding party, and still even walk Mum down the aisle or stand in as the Best Man for Dad; someone has to be there with the ring, right?

Weddings are a time of togetherness so the family can share the happiness and company of each other on your special day. You are certainly old enough not to have to plan the wedding yourself, no matter how large or small it is, so why not take advantage of the help that a wedding planner and your family can give and make your special day a non-stressful day too?
Olivia Nicholas