Ideal Child-Friendly Wedding Venues in Europe

With your heart set on a destination wedding, you begin drafting your guest list to soon realise, children are certainly going to be part of your invitees. Whether you have your own brood, an extended family with lots of little ones or friends who are due to give birth soon, a child-friendly wedding abroad can be an exciting adventure for all the family.

Family Friendly Weddings Abroad

For the comfort of your guests, kids and parents alike, there are certainly some considerations you can make when it comes to your choice of wedding venue abroad. From child safety to playrooms and menu options, opting for a venue suitable for your guestlist will allow you to relax and enjoy your dream wedding.

We’ve shortlisted five incredible child-friendly wedding venues across Europe that are both desirable yet suitable places to say ‘I Do’ with little ones in mind. Discussions with their owners and managers has allowed us to give you a real insight into the options, features and spaces available to families when celebrating weddings abroad…

An ancient country house with a contemporary twist, Mas Jofre is perfectly located within vast farmland in the Spanish region of Catalonia. With only a minimum 1 nights stay, the venue can accommodate up to 20 onsite with the option to invite up to 120 for your wedding celebrations. The converted property has the outside and inside space for epic family weddings, certainly with little ones in mind.

Child-friendly features

Alongside highchairs, cribs, extra beds and sofa beds, there’s an array of different games and toys available at Mas Jofre, including books, films and even netflix! Plus babysitting services if needed.

On request different menu options can be proposed for children during their stay and across your special day.

The space and nature to explore

The two houses and gardens of Mas Jofre are certainly spacious, giving children generous opportunity to explore. The exterior areas are packed with nature!

With gardens to discover and lawns to run free on, parents can rest assured knowing the external area of the estate is securely gated with a mountable security gate around the swimming pool.

Ahoy! All pirates

When staying over at Mas Jofre, children can sleep in the Suite “Torre dels Corsaris”. This Suite was a watchtower during the 16th century and was also a strategic point of defence against pirates!

The pirates were entering nearby coasts, attacking small towns and country houses, making the watchtower a real necessity- now, there’s a story the children you invite to your wedding will never forget.

Spacious with the perfect blend of historical charm and modern features

There’s nothing children love more than the space to explore and at Mas Jofre this can be enjoyed safely. Toast your marriage knowing your family-friendly Spanish venue is the ideal choice for your wedding and start married life as Mr & Mrs in an idyllic setting.

A private estate positioned in the heart of Tuscany, Villa Lena specialises in wedding takeovers allowing for the full indulgence of exclusive privacy. Creativity, communication and connection make up the venue’s core values, and without a doubt there’s an abundance of exciting features and experiences for children to discover during a wedding stay.

Activities for kids at Villa Lena

On the ground floor of the villa, the stunning property at the heart of the estate that houses the artist residency programme, you will find a dedicated children’s playroom, equipped with toys, drawing materials and soft furnishings. The bookshelves house a number of children’s books, alongside art journals and publications featuring former artists-in-residence.

Step outside and there’s a whole host of activities for little ones to discover. Splash around in the San Michele pool with an array of water toys, inflatables and equipment, enjoy the slide and playground next to Renacchi pool and play with the many games distributed around the property, from table football to ping-pong and boules.

Creative Workshops

Villa Lena hosts an exciting programme of creative workshops led by artists-in-residence, from flower arranging to pottery, creative writing to art therapy. They’re super fun, totally unique and around 60% of the classes are kid-friendly.

‘Forage and cook with us’ is just one of the food workshops and the pasta class is a keen favourite amongst little ones, who doesn’t love to make fresh pasta?!

The practicalities

The restaurant at Villa Lena operates a farm-to-table concept with dedicated food options for children everyday, you can even visit the onsite vegetable gardens to see how they were grown. When it comes to the wedding breakfast a specific child’s menu is available including discounted prices for little ones. Highchairs and baby cots are available on request without charge, and if needed hiring a nanny can be discussed.

View more of Villa Lena’s child-friendly features here | Villa Lena Video

Rural, creative & private

There’s so much for children to explore at Villa Lena, you’ll probably struggle to get them to leave! Suitable for all ages, the practicalities of accommodating babies is suitably covered and the programme of entertainment will certainly keep any boredom at bay. The perfect Italian child-friendly wedding choice, Villa Lena is an exciting estate full of creative spaces to exchange your vows.

Opting for a child-friendly wedding venue abroad certainly doesn’t mean ruling out luxury. One of the most desirable wedding venues in the world, Airelles Gordes, La Bastide, a luxurious retreat in French Provencal beauty offers a haven for family-friendly weddings. Experience mouthwatering French cuisine and gaze out across the valley of olive groves and vineyards with the knowledge your little ones are fully catered for.

Features to entertain your little ones

When hosting your wedding stay and celebrations at La Bastide you have the choice between full and partial privatisation of the retreat. With full exclusivity little ones have an entirely dedicated space including; a private outdoor swimming pool, an indoor kids club (with arcades games, playstation, Xbox) but also a daily program of activities such as treasure hunts, games on the terrace (ping-pong table, rocking horse,pool…), and even an open air cinema.

Whilst staying over at the retreat, specific amenities or presents are included according to the age of child, for example when it comes to babies; Airelles Gordes soft toy, bath cap, bibs, JACADI bath products.

If you choose partial privatisation during your wedding, fear not as the dedicated team transforms a meeting room opposite the ballroom with little ones in mind. Complete with TV, Xbox, DVD, board games, colouring, educational games and soft toys. Fatboys and baby cots are available for nap times and the toys and games will be adapted to appeal to the children’s age ranges.

The ideal child-friendly environment

With pool gates in the children kingdom, a childminder in the playroom and child menus according to age, La Bastide is a fully equipped family-friendly wedding retreat.

With all the games and activities on offer, children you invite to your wedding will be sure to make unforgettable memories which they will look back on for years to come. And, importantly with their own dedicated safe space to enjoy, your guests can celebrate into the evening and toast a glass or two of champagne!

A tranquil Greek haven, The Courti Estate is the epitome of sustainable luxury. Whether your guest list is 20 or 500, the traditional 18th century Venetian estate is certainly a dream destination wedding venue. With entire exclusivity, your family filled wedding can be hosted with plenty of areas for little ones to feel at home.

Child-friendly features

When it comes to facilities for children at Courti there’s lots to discover, starting with the incredible outdoor pool which has a permanently shaded shallow area, perfect for little ones to paddle in. The estate is a secure private home featuring an enclosed courtyard with lawned areas, ideal for exploration.

You will find all of the necessities in the manor house such as highchairs and wooden cots plus babysitting if required and when it comes to the cuisine there are children’s menus to choose from, of which ingredients are provided from the estate’s very own grounds and organic farm. The chef will also source any food specific to a child’s needs and is happy to prepare requested meals to suit.

Keeping little ones entertained

The Courti Estate works with a company that provides children’s entertainment for events, such as face painting and would be able to discuss the options for your celebrations.

Of course children are going to love the 360 degree views surrounding the estate, from the ancient olive groves to spotting the sparkling Ionian Sea and being located on the exclusive Corfu Riviera means there’s plenty for families to discover in this beautiful part of the world.

Destined to make parents relax

With it’s huge amount of space and numerous living areas parents with younger children will be sure to find a quiet place to calm, feed or put a little one down for a rest and with Greece being one of the most child-friendly countries in the world, parents at the estate are made to relax with the reassurance their little ones are safe and catered for.

A beautiful lush estate, Courti is a spectacular family-friendly destination ideal for gorgeous wedding celebrations.

If you’re dreaming of a chic wedding with rustic details, the authentic Cretan venue of Agreco Farm is a perfect destination wedding choice. Featuring it’s very own chapel, organic restaurant, olive press, wine cellar and workshops, your guests are set to have an unforgettable wedding experience at this Greek gem.

Memories for a lifetime

The farmyard is the heart of Agreco Farm, not only is the estate an outstanding beauty spot to say your vows full of romantic and rustic charm but it houses once in a lifetime experiences for children of all ages.

Top on the to-do-list here is to play ‘Farmer of the day’ full of fun-filled activities allowing little ones to participate in farm chores such as; sheep shearing, milking the goats, cheese making, collecting the hens eggs, vegetable picking, harvesting and bread making plus treading the grapes.

And, of course children can visit the estates very own mini zoo, yes a zoo! Where you will find, wild goats (Kri Kri), rabbits, quail, partridges, guinea fowl, pigeons, wild boar, peacocks, ostriches, donkeys, chickens, turkey, bantam chickens, dwarf goats, sheep, cows and bees. Now there’s a story your guests will be able to tell for many years to come.

Whilst the wine and olive tasting is best kept for the parents, the traditional mezedes can be enjoyed by all. With a range of food options available for children you will be happy to know only fresh, organic farm produce is used and prepared entirely in the farm kitchens.

A family wedding with a twist

All the natural Cretan style and outdoor vineyard and olive tree escapism you could dream of with an abundance of discoveries for all the family to enjoy, Agreco Farm is a wedding venue unlike any other, a rare hidden jewel awaiting laughter-filled celebrations.

Considerations to make for a child-friendly wedding

A happy child makes a happy parent, and a happy parent means a happy guest list. Which in turn will allow you to enjoy your momentous moments and celebrations with your loved ones by your side.

Destination weddings are an excellent family wedding option, usually extended across a long weekend or week they give you the option to indulge in socialising with your nearest and dearest in desirable locations.

Checklist for wedding venue suitability for young children;

• Accommodation or day rooms, the option for onsite bedrooms or even a day room for naps would certainly appeal to many parents with young toddlers.
• Shade- dreaming of saying your vows in the heat of the day? Make sure there’s a designated shaded area for little ones to keep cool.
• Safety gates, having the option to gate off outdoor areas which are unsuitable for little ones such as pools is important.
• Menu choices, a simple, classic meal choice for little ones would be ideal.
• Activities, if you plan to exclusively hire your venue for a weekend or week, look at the options available to entertain children.

Good luck with planning your family-friendly wedding abroad, if you need any help with finding the perfect venue for you- Ask The Experts our friendly team would love to give you their suggestions and help you discover your ideal place to say ‘I Do’.