We’ve gone to three weddings in the last two weeks. Out of those three weddings, our girls were the flower girls in two of them! I am so honored that the couples getting married would want to include our family, but from these experiences I know first hand just how stressful it can be to prepare. Let alone the actual part where you get a toddler to follow directions (should we just give up here?.. kidding). Here are a few things that helped us to prepare for their big moment!
Tip #1: Pre-wedding Prep
Start talking about the wedding as far in advance as possible. Explain to your little girl what it means to be a flower girl, what the responsibilities are, and what she will have to do. If you know what song they will be playing while she walks down the aisle, listen to it often and practice. The more realistic the practice, the better prepared they will be to do a great job. Also, talk it up to making her feel super important, like it’s her bid day too!
Tip #2: Finding Dresses
If the bride lets you pick the style, find one that is within your budget and potentially on sale! When I found these J Crew pineapple dresses at Nordstrom I immediately knew they would perfectly fit the tropical wedding theme. However they were a little more then I wanted to spend on a dress they would wear once. After digging around online, I found that the same dress was sold on the J Crew website and they were having a sale offering 30% off everything! Score!
If the bride requests something more specific, such as a more formal gown like the dresses the girls wore in the second wedding, try to find them on ebay or another second hand website. Often times people will sell the dresses after they are worn once and still in great condition! Unfortunately I didn’t think to do this until now.. which is exactly why I wanted to put this post together for you, so you will be more prepared then I was!
Tip #3: Have A Plan
There are two parts to this tip… First, have a plan for the day of. Make sure the will be well rested with naps if needed and fed. By setting up your day and scheduling things around these necessities you will avoid crankiness and have the highest chance for success!
The second part to this is to have a plan for the actual ceremony. Whether it is practiced at the rehearsal dinner or you just discuss it prior to the event. Enlist the help of a family member or friend. This is what worked for us both times: have one parent in the back with the kids to supervise them and then when it’s time, tell them to start walking. Have the other parent sitting close to the front of the ceremony in the aisle to (quietly) help encourage the kids to keep walking all the way to the front. Once they make it to the front that parent can escort them around the front row to the outside edge. I actually ended up taking my youngest completely out of the ceremony area once she completed her walk. There is nothing worse then a baby whining while people are saying their vows.
Tip #4: Wait To Dress Them
Kids have a funny way of getting their clothes dirty at the most inopportune times. If they are not doing pre-wedding photos, put your girls in their outfits as close to the ceremony time as possible. If they require a snack while they’re in their wedding attire, keep it as mess-free as possible.
Tip #5: Bribery
And if all else fails… bribery always works! Promise them a special treat or toy for a job well done.
I hope these tips are helpful and give you some good insight into preparing your little girl to be a flower girl. It really is worth all the preparation to see them walk down the aisle in support of friends or family celebrating their love. Just remember to relax and if it doesn’t go as planned, it will make a funny story later!
Do you have any advice for preparing your daughter to be a flower girl? Leave it below so we can all help each other!
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