5 Tips For Picking The Perfect Flower Girl Outfit
Picking the perfect outfit for your flower girl can be difficult, with the colour, style and accessories among the many things you’ll have to consider.
This week, I’ve teamed up with Steve Cochrane MBE, Managing Director at Childrenswardrobe to get his top tips for choosing a flower girl outfit that’ll tie nicely into your wedding.
Flower girls have always been a popular choice – generally because of their cuteness. And they’re still very popular today and a lovely way to involve the younger members of your family or your friend’s kids.
These beautiful little helpers can really add something special to your ceremony and gives you a great opportunity to get your nearest and dearest involved on your special day. You’ll probably already have a preference for who you want to line your aisle with petals. But you’ll also need to think about how their outfits will fit into the overall look and feel of your day. Here, Steve shares his top tips to help you pick the perfect flower girl outfit. 
Consider the season
Although you’ll want your little flower girl to look just as stunning as she always does, it’s important that she also feels comfortable in whatever she’s wearing. One way to ensure this is to dress her sensibly for the season. This doesn’t mean you have to have to throw your original ideas out of the window, but instead, learn how to adapt them to colder or warmer temperatures.
For example, if you plan on getting hitched in December, you’ll want to stick with longer sleeves or find a matching knitted cardigan they can cosy up in. You’ll also want to keep their legs warm, so selecting some tights in a complementary colour to their dress will be a smart idea.
However, if you’re having a summer wedding, picking dresses or tops with short or sheer sleeves will ensure their outfit is breathable and your flower girl doesn’t feel stuffy in the outfit they will be wearing all day.
Match their outfit colour to your theme
The easiest way to ensure your flower girl’s outfit coordinates with the rest of your wedding is to choose her outfit in a colour that matches the theme. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the primary colour of the wedding, and instead can tie in nicely with hints of other colours you have around.
For example, if your main theme is pink with smaller details in white and gold, selecting an outfit in the latter two hues can create a sense of subtle coordination.
If you want your flower girls to stand out even more as they welcome you down the aisle, you could consider choosing a brighter hue of your primary wedding scheme colour. So if your summer wedding is based around a pale yellow theme, having your flower girls dressed in a warm and bright, sunny yellow will create a subtle contrast that still looks lovely.
Choose the outfit style
Flower girls are typically dressed in dainty dresses, but don’t let this put you off choosing a top and skirt, or trouser combination if you so wish. When searching for the perfect flower girl outfit style, it’ll be important to consider a number of things, such as:
- The style of the wedding: Is your wedding rustic, or more classic and elegant?
- The child’s comfort: Your flower girl needs to feel comfortable in their outfit as they’ll be wearing it all day.
- The season: Knowing what to expect from the weather by looking at annual forecasts for your wedding month and keeping up to date with these as the day draws closer will mean you can equip your flower girl with what she’ll need.
- Their age: Some garments aren’t as suitable for younger children as they are for older children, so it’s important you consider their age. If you’re unsure, asking their parents what they’re comfortable with their child wearing can be helpful.
- Their own style: If one of your flower girls is a tomboy and you know she’ll have a melt down if you try and force her into a dress then don’t do it! Choose something that she’ll be happy in – maybe a playsuit for example?
Taking these into consideration will ensure you pick an outfit that fits seamlessly into your wedding theme but is also comfortable and age appropriate for your flower girl.
Pick coordinating shoes and accessories
Once you’ve chosen the colour theme for your flower girl’s outfit and have found the perfect pieces for her to wear on your big day, you can begin thinking about the shoes to go with their outfit.
Again, you’ll want to consider the season and their age to find the most suitable shoe styles and heel heights for your flower girl. For example, if you’re having a winter wedding where it’s likely to be cold and slippery outside, choosing beautiful boots with a good sole will be a better idea than dainty ballet shoes with no grip. Similarly, deciding on the heel height that they’re comfortable walking in will be a big consideration.
And, don’t forget about accessories! Mini handbags can make your little flower girl feel very grown up. And embellished headbands and hair slides can complete their look whilst keeping their hair off their face during the ceremony. If they have their ears pierced already, you could even find them some dainty earrings to make them feel glamorous.
Plan ahead with sizing
Children can grow at an astounding rate, meaning they outgrow clothes in just a few months. So, it’s important that you plan ahead for their growth, if your wedding is still many months away.
Don’t worry about having to buy a size up, and it not fitting. You can always get their outfits tailored to their size closer to the day, and buying bigger is always better than buying smaller.
When it comes to shoes, I’d advise buying these as close to the wedding month as possible, as children’s feet can quickly grow and you don’t want these to feel uncomfortable. Again, if you must buy in advance, I’d recommend buying a pair that feel a little looser on them rather than a perfect fit, as these can always be adjusted using an insole on the day.
Getting your flower girl’s outfit right doesn’t have to be confusing. Simply follow my top five tips and you’ll have a cheery little one who feels extremely important on your wedding day. There’s lots more helpful advice like this on my blog and remember you can find out about my planning services if you need more help with your wedding planning.
Louise
