Children are being asked to organise weddings for their parents as part of a BBC drive to reflect modern Britain.
Traditionally, it was the parents of the bride who worried about planning their daughter’s big day.
Now it is the children who are being asked to organise their parents’ wedding, in a BBC “reality” show.
In Marrying Mum & Dad, children as young as seven will be allowed to spend up to ￡10,000 on each wedding, picking out bridal gowns and dreaming up surprise themes.
The corporation says that it wants to see parents who are cohabiting, those remarrying after divorce, and even homosexual couples taking part, to “reflect modern Britain”.
But critics claim that it risks trivialising marriage and gives children a huge amount of responsibility which they may not be able to handle.
The series for CBBC, the corporation’s digital channel for primary school age children, will ask children aged between seven and 12 to arrange the character and style of the wedding or civil partnership.
They will be asked to oversee as many aspects of the day as they want, from the transport and entertainment to the dress and cake - though they will not be allowed to arrange hen nights or stag parties.
Parents on the show will have to be prepared to adapt to youthful tastes. Producers said they were anticipating unconventional ideas, which could see parents walking down the aisle dressed as animated characters, such as Shrek and Princess Fiona.
Ninder Billing, the executive producer of Marrying Mum & Dad, said: “Marriages are increasingly taking place where children are already in the picture and this is something we can be celebratory about.
“Long gone are the days where people are ashamed to be having a second marriage or having children out of wedlock.
“We still respect the institution of marriage, but it’s our responsibility to find ways of reflecting modern Britain.”
为了反映现代英国风貌，BBC一档栏目邀请孩子们为自己的父母组织婚礼。
传统上，总是新娘的父母为规划女儿的大喜日子而操心。
如今，英国广播公司（BBC）的一档“真人秀”节目要求孩子们为父母组织婚礼。
在“父母的婚礼”这档栏目中，组织婚礼的孩子们可以最多每场花费1万英镑，用来挑选新娘礼服和设计令人惊喜的主题，最小的孩子只有7岁。
BBC表示，想让那些未婚同居、离异后准备再婚的情侣和同性恋情侣参加节目，以“反映现代英国。”
但是批评人士称，这会让人觉得节目轻视婚礼，并让孩子们承担起过大的责任。
英国广播公司儿童数字频道的这一系列栏目将让7至12岁的孩子决定婚礼或民事伴侣结合仪式的特色和风格。
婚礼当天，孩子们可以看管他们想看管的所有事项——从交通和娱乐，到服装和蛋糕——但是他们不能组织男子或女子的婚前单身派对。
参加婚礼的父母要准备好适应孩子的品味。节目制作人称，他们期待着不同寻常的创意，比如父母扮成史莱克和菲奥娜公主等动画角色成婚。
“父母的婚礼”这一栏目的执行制片人宁德尔?比林说：“带着孩子结婚的人已经越来越多，这是值得庆贺的事。”
“人们再也不为举行再婚婚礼或有非婚生子女而感到羞耻了。”
“我们仍旧尊重婚姻制度，但我们的责任是找到反映现代英国的方式。”
Vocabulary:
big day: 大喜之日，重要日子
civil partnership: 民事伴侣关系
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