Including a flower girl in your bridal party can add a touch of charm and childlike innocence to your ceremony, and if there is a special little girl in your life she will no doubt be thrilled to play such an important role in your wedding. However, being a flower girl can be fairly daunting for a young child so here are some great flower girl tips.
What does the flower girl do?
Every bride has her own ideas about what they would like their flower girl to do, but usually, she walks down the aisle in front of the bride or maid of honour scattering rose petals in their path. Many venues no longer allow petals to be strewn on the floor so modern flower girls often simply carry a basket of flowers or a miniature bouquet.
Once the flower girl has walked down the aisle, her main duties are looking adorable and starring in some of the wedding photos. Older flower girls may stand at the altar with the bridesmaid, while younger ones tend to sit with their parents or grandparents during the ceremony.
Rehearsing with your flower girl
Although your flower girl might be involved in the wedding rehearsal so she knows when and how she needs to walk down the aisle, it is unlikely you will have a spare basket of rose petals for her to practice with.
Sit down with her and explain how you would like her to scatter the petals, perhaps a small handful of four or five petals with each step she takes, so you don’t end up with all the petals at the entrance and none near the altar. Ask her parents to practise this with her in the lead up to the wedding.
Walking down the aisle may sound simple enough but your flower girl will also need to practise her processional pace; otherwise, in the excitement of the moment, you may find her hurtling headlong down the aisle. She will need to practise walking in her dress which may be longer or stiffer than she’s used to, and also walking with her basket which may be quite heavy for her small arms.
Tips for coping with flower girl nerves:
- Try having her parents or grandparents sitting near the front of the ceremony on the aisle so that she can see them as she walks along. They can smile and encourage her if she seems to be faltering.
- Have the flower girl walk in front of the maid of honour instead of the bride. This means that the maid of honour can escort the flower girl if she gets last minute stage fright.
- If you really want an aisle full of petals have an adult scatter an even layer just before the bridal party arrives. Your flower girl can still sprinkle a few petals on top, but she’s not responsible for the overall look.
- If your flower girl isn’t actually scattering petals you could suggest she carries her favourite doll or teddy bear down the aisle, perhaps dressed in a special coordinating wedding outfit. Little girls tend to be much braver with a teddy by their side.
- Having two flower girls to walk together, or having the flower girl and page boy walk down the aisle at the same time can really increase their confidence.
- Make sure your flower girl has met and got to know your bridesmaids in the run up to the wedding so there are familiar faces around. Make sure you spend at least a few minutes with her before the ceremony so she feels she is a special part of your day.
- Have something non-messy to occupy your flower girls just before the ceremony so there isn’t time for nerves to build up. This is a great time to give her a thank you gift as it will provide a distraction, but just make sure she has somewhere safe to keep it.
