I had to make a big compromise with the military on my wedding...

I'm getting shipped the 20th so we pushed up the date by a lot and my none of my family could come and my husband's dad and future step mom were the only one's there other than a notary.

Your decision to celebrate a sacrament does not obligate you to entertain any particular group of people or individual. Having children there can be a very lovely idea - but it's neither a social, religious or moral requirement and it can change the tone of the event by preventing adult conversation and preventing the parents from fully relaxing and enjoying the event. I have a huge family and if we were to include all the children in family weddings, it would add about $3,000 to the cost of receptions here in our hometown of Chicago, so typically we have not included children younger than high school in family weddings. Because we are pretty organized, and there are a lot of kids, we have often (the kids parents - not the bride and groom) planned for a cousins party and included the children of out of town guests, at another location. Often we've found that the grandmas from the other side of the family, or some of the teenage cousins were willing to host these cousin parties and occasionally they've been held at the hotel where the reception is taking place. But for just two or three kids, it seems the parents can scare up some child care - a sleepover at a friends house, an overnight at the other Grandma's house or something can usually be arranged.