Consumer Corner: What's a wedding nanny and how much do they cost?
Weddings, before factoring in childcare costs, are expensive. Picture: iStock
Anyone at a wedding recently may have been intrigued by a Mary Poppins-type person minding children.
She would likely have been an employee of one of the many ‘wedding nanny’ companies that have popped up in Ireland to cater for anxious parents who fear a wedding invite wondering what to do about childcare.
Many weddings will have a ‘no children’ policy, or the bride and groom could be parents.
Weddings, before factoring in childcare costs, are expensive. There’s so much to think about: gifts, clothes, drinks, an overnight stay perhaps, transport, hair, make-up. Then, for parents, comes the headache of childcare while they attend the wedding. This is where the big costs start.
Children at weddings can be a divisive issue: Many couples will not want children at their wedding, others will not mind. Many parents will not want to bring their children to a wedding, despite what the bride and groom say. Not everyone will have family or friends they can call on to mind the children, or many of their ‘reliable’ minders could be at the wedding too.
The Wedding Nanny is one such company that offers childcare packages for people attending a wedding.
The hiring of wedding nannies is relatively new but a spokeswoman for the company says they have seen a big increase in demand for their services.
“We have absolutely seen an increase in demand in The Wedding Nanny bookings since starting our business five years ago this July. This is majorly down to the impact Covid-19 had on families, and those who may have had to postpone their wedding decided to start their family in the meantime.
“We also find a lot more families are booking the service for their nieces and nephews to allow all the adults to enjoy the much-needed celebrations, while also making sure the children are enjoying the celebrations where appropriate.
“Also, as child-free weddings are becoming more popular, we have noticed an increase in demand for childcare; oftentimes, a couple cannot attend a child-free wedding due to lack of childcare. We offer a solution to this, where we can look after the children off-site or in a separate location in the hotel and keep them totally away from the wedding party if required.”
Their prices differ according to which package parents want and the price depends on many factors, such as the number of children, location, and how long the nanny is required.
Laura, from ‘Nannies for Weddings’, says that they have enquiries and bookings right up to 2027. Packages start at €195 and that is for a half-day service of six hours. The price can go up to €445 for the overnight package, where a nanny will arrive at the wedding just before bedtime and take the children for the night. However, you may also have to factor in a hotel room here.
The company also offer what they call their ‘full-day package’ and that costs €385. This is full nanny assistance for 12 hours. The nanny will arrive in the morning and help the children get ready for the ceremony, attend the ceremony with the children, and ‘make sure they get their dinner before getting them ready for bed with a story’.
“So many more people are looking to source an outside professional service, just like ours, for their wedding, because they don’t want to burden guests with having to run around after children. Having a dedicated person at these special occasions relieves the stress and allows mammy and daddy to become bride and groom, in the case of bridal party children. For guests, having a professional person there on hand to take the children for quiet time or nap time makes the day even more enjoyable for them,” says Laura.
Laura says all of their team are minimum, level-five FETAC-educated, paediatric first-aid-trained, garda-vetted, and fully insured.
“And they have a wealth of experience working with children. So it gives everyone peace of mind that the mini guests are well taken care of.”
Mother of three Lorraine says she used the service of a wedding nanny company recently for her sister’s wedding.
“We were delighted when my sister got engaged, as we knew we could look forward to a brilliant wedding, but our attention quickly turned to how we would manage with our young kids. The girls are two and four and, as I was bridesmaid, it was going to be tricky finding someone to mind them as all of my family would be at the wedding. I was a bit skeptical at first, using a wedding nanny, as I wondering if they would be able to manage with the kids, but it actually worked out great.”
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