Why a mobile creche changes the day

A wedding with young guests can go one of two ways. Either parents spend the whole reception with one eye on a toddler making a break for the cake table, or they hand over to a team of childcare professionals and actually enjoy the speeches. A mobile creche — a fully staffed, self-contained childcare area set up at your venue — is the second option. Children get their own space, proper attention and a routine that suits them; their parents get a few hours off. In Scotland, where venues range from city hotels to marquees in the middle of a Perthshire field, it takes a bit of forward planning. Here is how to get it right.

Start with the guest list, not the budget

Before you contact a single provider, build a list of the children who will be there. Providers will ask for it straight away, and the answers set the price.

• Exact ages on the wedding day. Not ages now. A baby who is eleven months old when you book may be eighteen months by the time you marry, which can change the staff ratio they fall under.
• Numbers in each age band. Under twos, two to three, three to five, five to eight, and over eights. Most providers group children this way.
• Which parts of the day need cover. Ceremony only? Ceremony through to the end of the meal? The full day and evening? Each block changes the staffing and the cost.
• Evening guests. If people are arriving from 7.30pm, find out whether they are bringing children too. Numbers can jump sharply after the meal.
• Children with additional needs. Flag these early. A good provider will welcome the conversation and may bring extra staff.

A creche works best for the ceremony, meal and speeches, when parents want to sit down and eat. Toddlers are usually delighted to be collected for the first dance.

Ratios, PVG checks and qualifications

Ask about staff ratios directly and do not settle for a vague answer. As a rough guide, expect one adult to every two or three children under two, one to four for two and three year olds, one to eight for three to five year olds, and one to around ten for older children in a well-equipped room.

In Scotland, anyone working with children should be a member of the PVG scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland. Ask for confirmation in writing. At least one member of staff — more for a large group — should hold a current paediatric first aid certificate, and providers should be able to explain their safeguarding and collection policies. Ask whether they are registered with the Care Inspectorate, and if not, how the service is set up. It is a fair question, and a reputable provider will answer it without flinching.

Venue access and Scottish practicalities

A mobile creche arrives with mats, toys, bags, travel cots and buggies, and it needs somewhere sensible to put them.

• A separate, quiet room. Somewhere with a door you can close, away from the band and the bar. A corner of the reception area will not work once the dancing starts.
• Access. Gravel paths, narrow doorways, spiral staircases and converted steadings all add time. Ask about the route in and whether there is a lift.
• Travel. Island venues, Highland estates and rural locations may attract a travel charge and need extra set-up time before guests arrive.
• Power and water. A socket for a bottle warmer or steriliser, and a sink nearby for hand washing and nappy changes.
• Outside space. A garden is brilliant for burning off energy, but have a wet-weather plan — this is Scotland.
• Sleeping space. If babies or toddlers will nap, ask whether travel cots are provided and where they will go.

When to book and what to agree in writing

Most mobile creches take bookings three to six months in advance. For a Saturday in July or August, or any date in the school holidays, start earlier — a year ahead is not unreasonable for a popular provider.

Get a written quote and a contract covering the deposit and when the balance is due, minimum booking hours, cancellation terms, travel charges, and what happens if more children turn up than expected. Then send the provider a pack with your running order, the children's names and ages, allergies and dietary requirements, medical needs, parental mobile numbers, and the names of the adults authorised to collect each child. Confirm nappy-changing arrangements and whether snacks are included or need to come from the venue.

Making the handover work on the day

Small things make a difference. Ask parents to label bags, drinks bottles and comforters, and to hand over a spare set of clothes. Set up a simple sign-in and sign-out sheet so nobody leaves with the wrong child. Make sure the venue knows the creche team are coming, and that they get fed and watered. Put someone sensible in charge of checking in with them mid-evening — a quick word about how things are going is worth more than any contract clause.

Book early, ask blunt questions and put everything in writing. Do that, and the children will have a brilliant day — and so will their parents.