Most couples opt to have a flower girl at their wedding, and depending on the children in your life, this girl might be anywhere from 2 to 12 years old. While older flower girls should be able to cope with the complexity of a wedding ceremony, girls 5 and under can be….difficult, for lack of a better word! Here are seven tips for dealing with your flower girl:
1. Use the “buddy system.” There’s a good chance that your flower girl will be a bit nervous about the big day. If possible, consider having two flower girls that can walk down the isle together. Or, have your flower girl walk with a bridesmaid or ring bearer.
2. Practice. One time practicing might not be enough. The morning of your wedding or the day before, take your flower girl to the ceremonial hall and have her do a few more run-throughs.
3. Your flower girl doesn’t have to throw flowers. While most weddings traditionally have a flower girl tossing rose petals, if your flower girl can’t handle that, just get her a mini bouquet. Alternatively, you can have your flower girl carry a basket of buds or blow bubbles.
4. Seat your flower girl’s parents near the front of the hall. That way, if she’s nervous, she can focus on their faces. Make sure that she knows exactly where they’ll be sitting.
5. Let your flower girl help pick out her dress. If she’s not old or mature enough to go dress shopping with you, log online and look around with her. Get an idea of what she likes. Of course, your wedding is your vision, but if she gets to help with the process, she’ll feel important. Some great sites to look at dresses include Flower Girl Dress for Less and the So Sweet Boutique. At the very least, get the parents of the flower girl involved - they’ll have a good sense of the types of dresses their daughter likes, and the ones that she will hate to wear.
6. Make sure that each flower girl has an bridesmaid “friend.” Your bridesmaids don’t have to babysit, but during the wedding, have each flower girl be the responsibility of a specific bridesmaid. That way if anything goes wrong, someone will take care of it right away.
7. Make the wedding important to your flower girl. Talk to her about how special the day is to you and go a step farther - invite your flower girl to the rehearsal dinner, the bridal shower, and other bridesmaid functions. Treat her like a mini-bridesmaid, and she’ll be on board to be on her best behavior at the ceremony.
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