Ask the Experts: And Baby Makes Three

Q: Our bundle of joy arrived six months before the wedding. How can we make our baby part of the celebration?

A: “Bring the baby in for pictures before or after the ceremony and have an au pair or other trusted person care for him during the event,” says Phyllis Richárd, owner of Your Fairy Godmother in Haverford. “It’s a lot to ask of a little baby to keep quiet all that time, even if his parents are the bride and groom.”

If you want to introduce the baby to the guests, there are several opportunities, says Melissa Paul, a wedding planner at Evantine Design in Philadelphia. One bride asked her maid of honor to carry the infant down the aisle and hold her during the ceremony. Another option is including the wee one in the receiving line. “The key is to have a quiet place and a caregiver in place throughout the day so the parents don’t have to worry,” she says. —Eileen Smith