Help on "southern wedding etiquette"....?

I'll try and make this short but I need some opinions on a family wedding we were invited to. All us cousins and relatives live in Indiana and one of my cousins moved to Georgia a few years back. We're all extremely close and have stayed close to the cousin and her family who moved. Their son is getting married next month and everyone was invited except for the seven "little kids" who are around 2-5 years old. This has caused a big family stir about what to do with the little ones. My cousin says "it's the way they do things in the south", not wanting little ones at a wedding or reception. They plan to get a babysitter for the kids. Well....everyone here is miffed and some are not even going because they don't intend to travel all that way and leave their kids with someone they don't know. Plus I doubt the kids would want to even stay with strangers. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THIS IS REALLY THE SOUTHERN WAY TO DO THINGS? If it is, I think it's wrong. Sounds very snooty to me. Please give me your opinion if you're from the south. Thank you so much.