How to Find the Perfect Flower Girl Dress

When you’re choosing your bridal party, the first thought is usually bridesmaids and groomsmen. That’s all well and good, but shortly after, you need to be thinking about ushers and flower girls. Normally, a role for a daughter, niece or young girl in your family, she opens the procession with scatterings of rose petals, leading the way for your bridesmaid, and then your big entrance.

Although they’re not a prerequisite for all weddings, especially if you’re having a small ceremony, they can be a cute and fun way to get the whole family involved. The issue tends to be that it can be hard to dress a little one in a way that’s cohesive with the rest of the bridal party.

From frilly ruffles to ballerina style dresses to sparkly sequins, the dresses designed for flower girls are often a world away from the styles you’d choose for your bridesmaids. With this being said, how can you find the perfect flower girl dress that works well with the rest of your bridal party? Let’s find out more.

Think age appropriate

Fundamentally, you have to remember that flower girls are, well, girls. As such, you need to dress them according to their age. This not only means not dressing them like adults, but it also means not forcing them into some frou-frou gown if they’re getting a little old for that look.

Think about it this way, if you tried to put your bridesmaids in something you’d wear clubbing in Vegas or something that your mother would wear, they wouldn’t be happy. Not at all. Your flower girls might not be able to voice their opinions in the same way, but if you want to avoid a tantrum, keep this in mind.

Also, if you’re going to spend a big amount on a flower girl dress, it might be a good idea to buy it closer to the wedding date, as we all know how fast kids grow! There’s nothing worse than having dozens of last-minute alterations stressing you out.

Get them involved

A really cool way to find the perfect flower girl dress is to get the little girl involved in the dress picking process. If you take them out shopping and make a nice day of it, they’re going to feel more involved and invested in the outfit. This is going to make them feel more confident and happier when they’re wearing it.

If you consider how special you feel when you walk into a bridal dress shop and you’re the star of the show. It’s all about you and it just feels like a big event. That’s why you connect with the dress so much, because you recognise how special this occasion is. Give this to your flower girl and everyone will go home happy.

I mean, what little girl doesn’t love to go shopping for something new and exciting just for them? Get them invested in the process and the whole day will go a lot smoother.

Make sure they can move in it

Another crucial factor to think about is your flower girl’s movement. Much like how you wouldn’t give your bridesmaids tight, wiggle dresses where they can’t walk down the aisle, or make them wear sky high heels that they’ll fall over in, make sure your flower girls can move in their dress. It sounds basic, but it’s often overlooked.

The tendency is to get your flower dress a puffy princess dress with a lot of volume. If they’re particularly small, this might cause an issue when they’re trying to get down the aisle. No one wants a flower girl toppling over in the middle of the wedding because the skirt is too big.

Make sure you get your flower girl to have a test wander around the shop when she’s in the dress and take the shoes that she’ll be wearing with you. Even if you don’t have the specific ones yet, bring a similar pair to test out the walk.

Find them something special

Yes, this might be your wedding day and it definitely is your special day, but everyone in your bridal party should feel special too. If your flower girls are wearing something that they could wear for a birthday party then it’s not that special for them. Get them a dress that they’ll adore and they’ll remember your wedding as the special event it is.

You can now even get couture style flower girl dresses for the little girl who wants to make a big statement. These mini, colourful wedding style ball gowns wouldn’t look out of place on a bridal catwalk but have been shrunk down to give your flower girls the wedding fantasy that they deserve.

Wedding day outfits are all about dressing up in all your finery and looking the best you can. Just because you’re a child, doesn’t mean this can’t apply to you too. Dress up, get some accessories, get their hair done alongside the rest of the bridal party and they’ll have an experience they’ll never forget.

Pinal tips

Let’s finish off this article with a few final tips to help you find the perfect flower girl dress:

• Tie them into your overall bridal party look through the colour palette, rather than the features of the dress. If you’ve got bridesmaids wearing Grecian draped A-line dresses, this is going to look odd on a five year old. Instead, try to match the colour to provide that much needed cohesion.
• If you can, find a flower girl dress that has pockets. After all, your little friend is going to need somewhere to store the flower petals before heading down the aisle. If this isn’t possible, then you can always find a small bag that matches her outfit or a small pouch, like the kind sugared almonds come in. Anything that’s going to keep the petals in place while you’re waiting to hit the aisle.

Flower Girl Couture

Flower girl dresses are often an overlooked aspect of your wedding day. Tulle ballerina-ish styles seem to be the standard go-to when dresses, tiny tots, but if you’re having a glamorous high-end wedding it’s only fitting that your flower girl look the part too!

These winter 2013 couture flower girl looks from Lebanese designer Krikor Jobatian are just the thing. Seriously – these tiny dresses show stealers! Can’t you just image your flower girl floating down the aisle in one of these designs? What a lucky girl she’d be.

Krikor Jobatian has had something of a meteoric rise to fame in the Middle East and Europe. He studied fashion in Beirut and at the young age of 21 joined Elie Saab’s creative team. He presented his first collection in 2008 at Dubai Fashion Week and the age of 23 he had set up his first atelier in Beirut.

Don’t live in Lebanon? Don’t worry! You can still purchase these gowns from Krikor Jobatian and have them shipped to wherever you are

Credits: Photography: Tarek Moukaddem