I will never forget one particular wedding. The bride was asked by her sister to include her niece, Sabrina and her nephew, Christopher in the wedding. Everything went according to plan on the wedding day... except when it came time for the processional. As soon as Sabrina saw all the people staring at her, she immediately put her head down and kept it to the floor the entire time she walked down the aisle. Then, it was Christopher's turn. But he wasn't as brave as Sabrina - as soon as he peeked his head in the ceremony room and saw everyone looking at him, he immediately ran the other way. Since the bride was hidden in another room, she knew nothing of the events that took place before she made her entrance. After the ceremony and during the reception, her guests couldn't stop talking about it. It was funny the first few times she heard it, then it got a little irritating.

It's no secret, children have this magical sigh-inspiring disposition, no matter what they happen to do. Including them in a wedding ceremony could be extremely adorable or incredibly distracting. Much depends on a few important details. Here is a list of "Do's" and "Don'ts" to keep in mind when including your or anyone else's children in your wedding:

Do's

• Make sure that the children are over the age of three. Unless you are a high roller, going under this number may not be the best choice.
• Assign a few people to be in charge of the children during the ceremony.
• Always have a plan "B". If the child decides that he doesn't want to participate, don't force him.
• Make sure that the children you choose are outgoing and people-friendly.
• Invite them to the rehearsal and any other social event. Make them feel a part of the festivities.
• Make sure they know who you are. If there is a relationship, they are more likely to want to please you and take direction from you.

Don'ts

• Don't feel forced to include children at your wedding, including family members. Always remember that this is your wedding.
• Don't include children in a long ceremony.
• Don't place unrealistic expectations on children. Most likely, they will make some noise and cause some distraction. These things are expected and most guests completely understand.
• Do not punish a child if they choose not to participate on the day of the event. This is a risk you take - don't hold the child responsible.

By the way, the bride mentioned above was myself, and although I remember the day quite vividly, neither Sabrina nor Christopher have any recollection of it.