Plenty of couples choose an adults-only wedding: for the budget, for the venue, or because they want a late night of dancing. It is a perfectly reasonable choice. What causes trouble is not the decision but the wording. Guests who miss the message show up with kids, or feel blindsided when you mention it three weeks before the date.
This guide gives you adults-only wedding wording for every place it should appear: the invitation, the RSVP, the wedding website and the conversations with parents who ask. For complete invitations, see our wedding invitation wording examples.
Where to Say It
- The envelope or the message. Address the invitation only to the adults invited: “Mr. and Mrs. Patel,” not “The Patel Family.” For a digital invitation, write the names in your message.
- The invitation itself, as one short line near the bottom.
- The RSVP, with the number of seats reserved.
- Your wedding website or FAQ, with a little more explanation.
Saying it once on the invitation and once in the RSVP covers almost everyone. The website catches the rest.
Adults-Only Lines for the Invitation
- “Adult reception to follow.”
- “We respectfully request an adults-only celebration.”
- “While we love your little ones, our wedding will be an adults-only event.”
- “Please note that our celebration is for adults only.”
- “We kindly ask that this be an adults-only occasion.”
- “Adults-only ceremony and reception.”
Put the line at the bottom, near the reception or RSVP details. It should be visible but not the headline.
A Full Example
Together with their families
Emma Clarke and Daniel Reyes
request the pleasure of your company at their wedding
Saturday, the twelfth of September, at four o’clock
Villa Rosa, Lake Geneva
Dinner and dancing to follow
We respectfully request an adults-only celebration
By Tone
- Formal: “Owing to limited capacity, we are unable to extend this invitation to children.”
- Warm: “We love your kids, and we hope you enjoy a grown-up night out with us.”
- Casual: “Book the babysitter: this one’s adults only!”
- Funny: “We’ve hired a DJ who only knows songs your kids shouldn’t hear. Adults only, please.”
On the Save-the-Date
Mentioning it early is the kindest option, because parents need the most notice. A short line works: “Save the date for an adults-only celebration in Lake Geneva, September 12.” If you are not ready to announce it there, put it on your wedding website and make sure the save-the-date links to it.
RSVP Wording
The RSVP is where adults-only becomes concrete. Tell guests how many seats you have reserved for them.
We have reserved 2 seats in your honor.
Kindly reply by August 1.
Please let us know if you can join us. Our celebration is for adults only, and we have saved a seat for you and a guest.
With an online RSVP, ask guests for their party size so you can see right away if someone adds a child by mistake.
Wording for Your Wedding Website or FAQ
Can I bring my kids?
We love your little ones, but we have decided to keep our wedding adults only. We hope this gives you a night off to relax and celebrate with us. If you need a local babysitter, send us a message and we’ll share a few names.
Due to space at the venue, we are only able to invite the children of immediate family. Thank you for understanding.
Exceptions: Flower Girls, Nursing Babies and Family
Most adults-only weddings have a few exceptions. That is fine as long as you are consistent and honest about the rule.
- Kids in the wedding party: flower girls and ring bearers are a common exception. Nobody objects.
- Nursing babies: many couples allow babies under six months. Say so: “Infants in arms are welcome.”
- Immediate family only: “children of immediate family” is a clear line guests can understand.
- Age cutoff: “Guests 16 and older” works for teens.
Whatever you choose, invite by name. The children who are invited should be on the envelope or in the message.
What to Say When Parents Ask
Someone will ask. Keep the answer short, warm and the same for everyone.
“We’d love to have them, but we’ve decided to keep the whole wedding adults only. We really hope you can still come and have a night off with us.”
“We’re only able to include kids who are in the wedding party. I know it’s a hassle, and we completely understand if it’s too hard to make it work.”
Don’t make one-off exceptions for whoever asks loudest. If a guest can’t come because of it, accept that gracefully. More tips on drawing these lines are in our wedding guest list tips.
Ways to Help Parents
- Give plenty of notice. Send save-the-dates early so parents can plan childcare. Our guide to when to send wedding invitations has the timeline.
- Share babysitter options near the venue, or a list of hotel childcare services.
- Arrange a kids’ room at the hotel with a sitter, if your budget allows. Some couples split the cost with the parents.
- Plan the timing. An earlier ceremony makes it easier for parents to get home to the sitter.
Adults-Only Reception
Some couples welcome kids at the ceremony but not the reception. Make the split clear: “Children are welcome at the ceremony. The reception that follows is for adults only.” See our wedding reception invitation wording for more.
Common Mistakes
- “The Smith Family” on the envelope. Guests reasonably read it as an invitation for everyone.
- Hiding it on page three of the website. Put it on the invitation and in the RSVP, too.
- Apologizing at length. One warm sentence is enough; a paragraph of explanation invites debate.
- Quiet exceptions. If some children are invited, people will notice. Decide the rule first and explain it the same way to everyone.
- Announcing it late. Telling parents a month before the wedding leaves them scrambling for childcare.
Sending It Digitally
With TwistInvite, you make the wedding invitation in the app with your own photos, video or music, then share the link by WhatsApp or SMS. Write the guests’ names in the message, the same way you would address an envelope: “Hi Priya and Sam, here’s our wedding invitation.” Guests open the link in their browser and answer Going, Can’t make it or Maybe, without an app or an account. You can ask for each guest’s email and party size, and you see the replies in the app. If someone replies with more people than you invited, you’ll notice early and can follow up kindly. Our guide on how to send wedding invitations by text covers the rest.
Ready to send yours? Open the TwistInvite app and start with a wedding design. See more in our wedding invitations and all our wedding guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you politely say no kids at a wedding?
Address the invitation only to the adults invited, add a short line such as “We respectfully request an adults-only celebration,” and list the number of reserved seats in the RSVP.
Is it rude to have an adults-only wedding?
No. It is a common choice. What matters is saying it clearly, early and kindly, and applying the rule the same way to everyone.
Where should adults-only go on a wedding invitation?
As one short line near the bottom, often with the reception details. Repeat it in the RSVP and on your wedding website.
What if guests RSVP with their kids anyway?
Contact them privately and kindly: explain the wedding is adults only and that you hope they can still come.
Can I make exceptions for flower girls or babies?
Yes. Kids in the wedding party and nursing infants are common exceptions. Invite them by name and keep the rule consistent.
Create it in the TwistInvite app
Download free on iPhone or Android, then share one link with your guests.