Almost 50% of couples getting married in Canada already have children whether they are his, hers or theirs. Accordingly, this situation provides an excellent occassion to turn the marriage celebration into a family event by making the ceremony a child-inclusive one.

Such a ceremony can have many dimensions of involvement: walking down the aisle as a ring-bearer or flower girl, acting as an usher, or joining Mom or Dad's wedding party as a junior bridesmaid or junior groomsman.

You can show children their importance to you by involving them in your wedding ceremony in ways that strengthen their relationship with you, shows honour to the child, and visibly illustrates your emotional bond with the child.

You can include as many children as you want. How you include a child in your ceremony is dependent upon the personality of the child, their age, and their relationship to bride, groom or both, as well as the other wedding ceremony options you have selected.

Particularly when the bride and groom are bringing children from their previous relationships, a new family structure is being created as a result of the wedding ceremony. As such, the children may very well have mixed feelings about the wedding, and these should be carefully considered. Accordingly, some children may may be quite content to be very involved while others may prefer little or no participation. Lynne and Keith are happy to calibrate both the wedding and the planning process so as to include the children as much as they want .

By celebrating your wedding ceremony as a family event, the bride and groom make it a warm and wonderful way for everyone to participate in the rituals. A great method for doing this is the blending of the sand ceremony.

When any of children are making a transition into a stepfamily, their parent and step-parent should give a great deal of care to ensure that none of the children feel as if they are giving up their individuality. In this case having a ritual that gives something to the child, rather than taking something away is a more practical and sensitive choice.

Lynne and Keith will work carefully and purposefully with you to ensure that your children are included to the extent with which they are comfortable and engaged rather than diminished by your wedding ceremony.

But most of all, Lynne and Keith will make your child-inclusive wedding also a child-friendly wedding, one where all children feel welcome and feel so, whether or not they are part of the wedding ceremony.