MY JEAN M ARTICLES :

If you’re planning a wedding and just can’t imagine celebrating without your children, you’re not alone. You’re part of a growing number of couples who are choosing to not only involve their kids in their wedding ceremonies, but also in their honeymoons.

It’s called a familymoon — and it’s part of an up and coming trend in blended wedding celebrations that is taking the world of remarriage completely by storm.

Central to the idea of the familymoon is the notion that when kids take part in the post-wedding celebration, it reinforces their sense of belonging to the new family — rather than shutting them out of an unfamiliar and intimate partnership. Experts agree that this is especially critical with today’s blended families, since familial relations are already tricky.

Furthermore, a post-wedding family trip, by definition, involves extended amounts of togetherness, which strengthens the kids’ bond with their new parent. A trip of this nature packs a great deal of bonding into one effective punch, which is an especially great way to get to know a kid who is often busy or away at school.

Resorts are readily jumping on the familymoon bandwagon by offering packages designed especially for this type of family-style celebrating — complete with child-inclusive ceremonies, kid-geared activities and even babysitting.

Keep in mind that there will be plenty of time for romance with your spouse over the years. The trip you’re planning now is a celebration of your new extended family. It’s only natural that it should involve your children.