It’s finally Spring…which means wedding season is upon us! As blushing brides everywhere prepare for their big day, there’s another girl in a white dress that is anxiously awaiting her walk down the aisle.
The flower girl.
Last summer my (almost) 3-year-old was given this special job in her uncle’s wedding and during that time I learned quite a bit as Mother of the Flower Girl (that’s a thing, right?!?) So if you have a future flower girl in your house — don’t worry! I’ve got you covered with these 7 steps to wedding day success.
1. Read about it. Depending on her age, your little one may not know much about flower girls — or weddings in general. My sister-in-law gave my daughter Pinkalicious Flower Girl, and we read The Most Special Flower Girl as well. These books (combined with a few YouTube videos) helped her to understand her role and really get excited about the big day ahead!
2. Talk it up. I made it a point to bring up my daughter’s flower girl duties all the time–especially when we were seeing new people. I’d say, “Did you know Arden is going to be a flower girl?!?” Of course every person I shared this with responded with over-the-top excitement, which made my daughter feel like a true star!
3. Practice. The idea of walking down a church aisle, throwing flower petals can seem a little strange to a young girl. That’s why we used our hallway and an Easter basket for practice! Again, the more comfortable your little one is with the job itself, the more likely she’ll be to go through with it when the whole church is focused on her!
4. Maintain her schedule. It might not be possible depending on the time of the wedding, but the closer you can stay to the flower girl’s normal schedule, the better! Tired children and large crowds don’t always mix well!
5. Give her an incentive. Some call it bribery, I call it a reward system. I also call it wedding cake. (And it works!)
6. Put a familiar face at the end of the aisle. This is easy if one of the parents is in the wedding party, but if not, you might consider placing someone there to make the flower girl feel comfortable…and to cheer her on, of course! Also, if she’ll be sitting through the wedding ceremony, I recommend bringing a quiet activity or two to keep her occupied.
7. Most importantly, go with the flow. Children are unpredictable (you know this!)…and weddings can be too. So just know that things will probably not go as planned–and that’s okay. Give your flower girl a big hug and try to remember her in that very moment. After all, she’ll be all grown up on her next trip down the aisle in a white dress.
Thanks for the advice, Daisy is going to be a flower girl in a few weeks.