Planning children's wedding meals is easier when you replace one broad ‘children’ total with a clear list for each food service. Record which children will eat, when they will be present, what provision has actually been agreed and who will help them collect or receive food.
There is no universal age at which a child needs a particular menu, portion or price. This guide therefore gives you a family-by-family decision checklist. It does not invent a Fables child-menu, age band, discount or guarantee that every child needs different food.
Count children for each separate food service
Start with the named guest list and mark every service each child will attend: canapés, wedding breakfast, dessert, evening food and any next-day gathering. A child who attends the ceremony and main meal but leaves before evening food should not be treated as present for every service.
Keep a separate total for babies who are not eating the booked food, children eating the same provision as adults and children for whom a different arrangement is being requested. These labels are planning categories only; the caterer must confirm what can be provided and how it will be charged.
Include young members of the wedding party and any children of suppliers only if food has actually been requested for them. Reconcile the children's totals with the main guest count so nobody is omitted or counted twice.
Ask about needs, not assumptions based on age
Two children of the same age may eat very differently. Ask parents or guardians whether the child is expected to eat the planned food, needs an agreed alternative, will bring their own food or is not eating during that service. Pass only the information needed to plan the booking.
Do not promise families a special menu before the caterer confirms it. Write requests as requests, then record the final answer in the accepted quotation or booking details. The same applies to portion sizes, serving method and price: an organiser's assumption is not a supplier commitment.
Fables does not cater for food allergies. Any food intolerance arrangement must be discussed before booking and is included only when Fables expressly confirms it. Do not send children's names or medical histories; provide the agreed requirement and number of portions instead.
Choose a timing that works for the whole wedding
Map the children's day alongside the main running order. Note travel, photographs, speeches, naps, childcare handovers and the time evening guests arrive. If younger guests are expected to eat earlier than everyone else, ask whether a separate time is actually available rather than adding it informally on the day.
Tell parents the confirmed serving window before the wedding. Service ends when the booked food quantity has been served or the booked service period ends, whichever happens first. Children arriving late are not automatically covered by extra food or an extended service.
If speeches or photographs might move, nominate one organiser to coordinate any proposed change with the catering lead. Avoid announcing a revised serving time until the supplier has confirmed it can still work within the booking.
Compare three workable meal arrangements
Use this comparison to identify the questions to ask. It is not a list of fixed Fables packages, and availability depends on the written quotation and booking.
| Possible arrangement | Useful when | Confirm in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Same food and service as adults | The planned menu and timing suit the child | Portion, quantity, price and how the child receives food |
| Different agreed provision | The organiser wants to request another option | Exact food, numbers, timing, price and who serves it |
| Parent-provided food | The supplier and venue have expressly agreed the arrangement | Storage, handling, serving, clearing and responsibility |
Plan how children reach and eat the food
Decide whether children will join the normal queue, be accompanied by an adult or receive food at a table. The client or venue is responsible for organising guest queues and behaviour, so brief the adults who will help rather than assuming catering staff will identify or supervise children.
Check the physical setup from a child's point of view. Can they carry the plate safely? Is there somewhere to sit? Will a pushchair, highchair or children's table obstruct the service route? Agree furniture and room layout with the venue because these are not automatic catering inclusions.
Make clearing responsibilities explicit. Packing down catering equipment does not automatically include clearing guest tables, collecting rubbish around the venue or removing event waste unless those services are expressly included.
Give parents one short, accurate briefing
Send parents only confirmed information: what food is planned, the service window, where children will eat, who should accompany them and the deadline for raising a question. If something is still awaiting confirmation, label it as pending rather than presenting it as settled.
Keep responses in one organiser-held record. Summarise totals for the caterer without circulating private family details to the whole wedding party. When a request changes, update the count and mark whether the caterer has accepted the revision.
Complete the children's wedding meal worksheet
Use one row per child or sibling group, then total each service at the bottom. Replace names with initials or a family reference in the supplier summary if names are not needed.
| Decision | Your answer | Confirmed by |
|---|---|---|
| Services attended | Canapés / meal / dessert / evening food: ____ | Family: ____ |
| Food arrangement | Same provision / requested alternative / other: ____ | Caterer: ____ |
| Quantity and price | Written booking detail: ____ | Caterer: ____ |
| Timing | Confirmed serving window: ____ | Caterer and organiser: ____ |
| Adult support | Queue, collection and seating plan: ____ | Parent or guardian: ____ |
| Intolerance status | Not requested / expressly confirmed details and portions: ____ | Fables: ____ |
| Outstanding decision | Owner and deadline: ____ | ____ |
Send a reconciled brief with your wedding enquiry
Use the Fables wedding catering page to explore the service, then send the event date, venue, total guests, children's count by service and the decisions still needing confirmation. Do not treat this worksheet as a booking amendment until Fables accepts the details in writing.
For avoiding double-counting across the day, use the separate wedding guest-number guide. Check the current Fables terms for guest-number, intolerance, service-time and responsibility rules that apply to the written booking.
When your family-by-family plan is ready, request a Fables quote for your wedding in Market Deeping or elsewhere in England, Scotland or Wales. Ask for every agreed children's food arrangement, quantity, time and exclusion to be recorded clearly.
Tell Fables about your event
Share your date, venue or postcode, guest numbers and the food you have in mind.
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