When a Wedding reception says "adult" only does that mean over 18 or 21?

[Kitty 34]

Really don't want this to turn into a debate whether a reception should have kids or not but my sister and I were just wondering the age? She said 18, I say 21 because of obviously the alcohol.

What would you guys assume?

 

[design_mom]

I think it's open to interpretation, which is part of the reason that most wedding invitations have the guests names printed on the inside envelope. I think different brides & grooms could also have different interpretations of what "adult" means when it comes to their guest lists.

 

[disykat]

I think you can choose whatever guests to put on the invitation based on any criteria. If you are choosing based on them being a "child" and want a strict number I'd say 18, even 16 if the child is close to the bride or groom.

 

[xjillianpaige]

I'd imagine it depends on the couple. Some might limit their invites to guests who are teens+ (my cousin did that) whereas some might keep it to the 21+ crowd. It also might depend on how close they are to the "adult" children of couples. When I was in my late teens/early 20s I didn't get some wedding invites just because I wasn't particularly close to the couple at the time.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Really don't want this to turn into a debate whether a reception should have kids or not but my sister and I were just wondering the age? She said 18, I say 21 because of obviously the alcohol.

What would you guys assume?

Well, I wouldn't assume anything. If I got an invitation to a wedding/reception that just said "adults only" and I had an 18-20 year old, I'd call the couple and ask for more specific age information.

As noted, typically, on a properly addressed invitation, the interior envelope should list the names of who's actually invited.

 

[low-key]

I think it means clothes optional

 

[CheekyRose]

We put adults only on our invitations and our intent was to mean 18 and over. If it was because of alcohol, I'd have put "21 and older".
But really, as others mentioned, the important thing is the names on the inner envelope.

 

[tvguy]

We put adults only on our invitations and our intent was to mean 18 and over. If it was because of alcohol, I'd have put "21 and older".
But really, as others mentioned, the important thing is the names on the inner envelope.

DDIL didn't want misbehaving children at her wedding, so she put "no children please" on the invitation. There were a few misbehaving adults towards the end of the reception, thanks to too much alcohol.

 

[sonnyjane]

I wouldn't be certain just by seeing that. If you're sending the invitations, I would specify "Adults 18 and older" etc. If you received the invitation and have an older child that would be questionable, I would call to confirm.

 

[sonnyjane]

DDIL didn't want misbehaving children at her wedding, so she put "no children please" on the invitation. There were a few misbehaving adults towards the end of the reception, thanks to too much alcohol.

Everyone is someones child... I'd use that as in excuse not to go to a wedding if I didn't want to lol!

 

[Disneylover99]

Drinking age is 19 where I live, but if an invitation said adults only, I'd always think 18 and older.

 

[tvguy]

Drinking age is 19 where I live, but if an invitation said adults only, I'd always think 18 and older.

Amazed Canada hasn't gone back to 21.

 

[PlainJane]

"Adults only" was meant to make it abundantly clear that we were only inviting those listed on the invite and not their children as well. I never considered making my wedding adults only until I experienced a ceremony that you could barely hear (I was in one of the first rows) because of two girls who were old enough to know better. They caused some chaos at the reception too. Every other wedding I've attended kids did not cause a scene, but I had no intention of risking it.

The decision had nothing to do with the drinking age. Our wedding and reception would have been appropriate for children had they been in attendance.

Edited to add: At at least two of the weddings I've attended the bride was under 21 (can't recall with the grooms), so I probably wouldn't have thought it meant 21 and up. Though, alcohol has also not been served at the vast majority of weddings I've attended, so there's also that.

 

[Disneylover99]

Amazed Canada hasn't gone back to 21.

Most provinces are 19, a few are 18. The drinking age hasn't been 21 since 1971.

 

[CheekyRose]

"Adults only" was meant to make it abundantly clear that we were only inviting those listed on the invite and not their children as well. I never considered making my wedding adults only until I experienced a ceremony that you could barely hear (I was in one of the first rows) because of two girls who were old enough to know better. They caused some chaos at the reception too. Every other wedding I've attended kids did not cause a scene, but I had no intention of risking it.

The decision had nothing to do with the drinking age. Our wedding and reception would have been appropriate for children had they been in attendance.

Yes, ours was completely kid appropriate, too. Getting married at age 28, though, we counted and the 120 adults we invited had about 60 kids 12 and under between them. So it was about not wanting a third of our guests to be kids, and how crazy that would be. 10-15 kids would have been fine, but we weren't going to pick favorites so just didn't invite any. Three couples did bring a child anyway, though.

 

[wenrob]

DDIL didn't want misbehaving children at her wedding, so she put "no children please" on the invitation. There were a few misbehaving adults towards the end of the reception, thanks to too much alcohol.

It wouldn't be a wedding if someone didn't get drunk and stupid.

I'd take it to mean older teen range and up. As others have said it should be clear with the names on the inside. They just don't want little kids running around.

I didn't even think about it when I got married. Thinking about it now that could have been very bad. Put it this way, I have 20 first cousins on my mom's side all quite a bit younger than me. We won't even get into the ridiculous amount of second and third cousins. Some of my younger cousins were there and instead of drinking from the punch fountain they and all the tea totalers drank up my bar in soda. Thank goodness the bartender had known me since I was a little kid. Our bank for the bar miraculously somehow never ran out.

 

[RedAngie]

I've never received an invitation that said "Adults Only." If my DDs weren't invited, the inner envelope didn't say "and Family."

 

[wilkeliza]

We don't plan to write anything out on the invites just writing only the names of those invited on the invitation. I may add a note to the only RSVP that says due to capacity we can bot accepts RSVPs for those not on the invitation or soemthing similar to drive it home.

 

[Squirlz]

I would assume it to mean no children of invitees.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I would assume 21 because of the drinking age.