Adults-Only Wedding: Etiquette and Invitation Wording Examples

Making your guest list is one of the most stressful and toughest parts of wedding planning. Whether it's capacity limits at the venue or budget constraints, there comes a time when you’ll have to decide who makes the cut—and who doesn’t. One of the easiest ways to shorten your guest list is to make your wedding adults-only and to firmly stick to that decision.

“When couples say adult-only weddings, more often than not they’re referencing the actual reception itself," says wedding etiquette expert Elaine Swann. "What [couples] are looking at is the location of the venue itself, the style, the theme, all of the activities that will take place." Whether you don’t have the space for a kids’ table, don't have a budget for on-site babysitters, or simply just don’t love children (a totally valid reason), an adults-only wedding is a good option for many couples.

You might be worried that guests with kids will be offended about being invited without the rest of their brood (which, of course, can happen), but you’d be surprised by how many will actually love the chance to have a night out where they can have their own fun. But if you opt to exclude anyone who doesn’t meet your adult criteria, you have to let your guests know. So what’s the most polite, tactful, and effective way to communicate this to your nearest and dearest? We compiled a list of tips and wording samples to navigate these murky waters.

Adults-Only Wedding Etiquette

If you've decided your wedding will be adults-only, the best thing you can do is be clear and consistent about the parameters. Here's how to do that.

Don't Make Exceptions

Decide exactly what qualifies someone as an “adult.” Do they have to be over 21? Out of college? Paying their own rent? Stick to your guns here. Unless a guest is nursing an infant (which we think merits a free pass), draw the line and be firm.

If you want to include ring bearers and flower girls as part of the ceremony and but decide to keep your reception adults-only, you can choose to make an exception for kids in the wedding party or limit their attendance at the ceremony. Just make it known that the only children will be those in the wedding party, so your other guests with children don't get upset when they see little ones at the wedding, but weren't allowed to bring their own. That means no exceptions for your favorite niece or younger cousin, which is guaranteed to ruffle feathers with parents whose kids didn’t make the cut.

Be Clear Right Away

The best way to make sure your guests know the wedding will be adults-only is to be as clear as possible from the very beginning—especially for the benefit of parents who have to book child care. This starts with how you address your save-the-dates and invitations: Only the guests invited are named on the invitation. If you are inviting parents, be sure to use only their names on the envelope: “Mr. and Mrs. Luis Chavez,” not “The Chavez Family."

If you’re worried some guests won’t get the hint, include "adults only" on the wedding invitations. You can even add a count on the RSVP cards. Beneath the line where guests can write their names, add “___ of ___ guests” and fill in that second line with the number of guests included in each invitation to avoid any confusion.

Say It on Your Website

Most couples have wedding websites that contain a comprehensive list of details for their upcoming wedding. On your site, be sure to include an FAQ page. Include the question "Can we bring kids?” and clearly state that, while you love all those little ones in your lives, you really want your family and friends to be able to have a fantastic time without worrying about their kids. Some may still travel with children, so consider including information for a local babysitting agency.

Spread the Word

"You can ask your bridal party and the family of the bride to help spread the word," says Swann. So tell your families, wedding party, and other close friends and relatives that you’re going kid-free for your wedding. They don’t need to shout it from the rooftops on your behalf, but if they know what you’ve decided, they’ll be better informed to answer questions from other guests.

Be Ready to Have a Difficult Conversation

If you do have guests RSVPing for the entire family, hop on the phone as soon as the card comes in. Let them know that the invitation is actually only for the parents. You can say why it's adults-only—maybe it's the activities or the venue that's adult-centric—or you can cite "budget constraints" as the reason for doing so.

Even if the budget isn’t the reason, that’s a much more understandable excuse than “Well, we think kids will be noisy or distracting,” right? "If someone declares that they’re just not going to come, you have to respect their decision whether they’re doing it out of spite or whether they cannot find any other option," says Swann.

Adults-Only Wedding Invitation Wording

Having an adults-only wedding may require finessing some language on all communication with guests, from the invites to the website to replies to those guests who ask for "exceptions."

On the Invitation

Though some people avoid it, Swann says there's absolutely nothing wrong with stating clearly on the invitation that the occasion is adults-only. You can include this on the main invite or the RSVP card.

“This is an adult-only occasion."

On the Website

If you have a wedding website, include the announcement on the FAQ page under "Can guests bring kids?" or on the information page.

“While we love all of the children in our lives, we have decided to keep our wedding and reception an adults-only event.”

For Guests Who Ask for an Exception

If a guest explains that there is no option to leave the kids home, Swann recommends being firm but compassionate in your approach.

"In this particular instance, you would not be able to bring little Johnny as we are requesting for this to be an adult-only occasion. We’d love to have you there, but we are not going to have children.'"

For Guests Who Ask to Switch Invitees

Sometimes, in situations where two or more guests are invited but one of them can't attend, the other asks if they can bring their kid instead since it wouldn't make a difference in the guest count. "Just be clear this isn’t necessarily about the guest count; it’s more so the type of event that you’re hosting," Swann says.

"We’re hosting an event that’s very adult-driven and so we have to ask you to make other arrangements for your children/child."