Child-free weddings spark debate as they catch on

The trend of child-free weddings is spreading in Greece with an increasing number of couples choosing it for their own celebration, though not everyone is on board with the idea.

“It is a very popular practice,” an events manager with many years of experience in large hotels told Kathimerini. “Some people mention esthetic reasons, ‘to get the children off the dance floor’ etc, but also safety reasons if there is a swimming pool. I have even seen more unusual cases, such as a baptism where no children were allowed! Right now, however, the most widespread practice is to have a separate area for children with a children’s buffet and an entertainer, so that everyone is happy.”

Not everyone welcomes an “adults-only” invitation. “It would seem very rude and racist to me,” says the editor-in-chief of Talk magazine and mother of two, Pelio Papadia. “It looks like the bride and groom do not respect the family of their guests, who may not want to be separated from their children, may be breastfeeding or may not have a babysitter, etc. I respect that they want a quiet wedding – as if drunk guests are better than children running around – but it’s rude to their friends and family.”

What motivated the lawyer Vaso Pantazis to make her wedding ceremony child-free was the financial cost. She had booked a five-star hotel for the event and thought it would be a shame to pay 100 euros per person for children who would hardly eat anything. Pantazis also didn’t want clowns and entertainers at her event. “If you don’t have something to occupy the children, they will make a fuss, they will take over the dance floor. Their parents don’t have a good time either, since they are constantly dealing with them,” she explains.