Second only to watching the bride come down the aisle is the delightful treat of watching the flower girl or girls precede her. These adorable additions to the wedding party, along with the ring bearer decked out in his tiny tux, are something that we all look forward to seeing at each wedding that we attend.
Most little girls love to dress up and the thought of dressing like a princess will thrill your flower girl. She will most likely relish the idea that she’s an important part of your big day! While you want to emphasize the importance of her role, make sure you don’t do it in a way that will make her nervous and unable to perform her duties when the day arrives. This should be a fun day for her, but she still needs to know that her role is vital. Spending some additional time with her at the rehearsal should be good enough to ensure a successful walk down the aisle.
Flower girls can proceed down the aisle before the maid-of-honor or immediately in front of the bride herself. Occasionally a flower girl will be accompanied by the ring bearer and they will make an adorable couple as them march to the front where the groom awaits his bride. The children’s parents should be seated near the front, just in case one of the little ones decides he or she doesn’t want to stand up there for very long.
One way to ease the worry of your flower girl(s) is to have her attend your shower and your bridesmaids’ luncheon. Once she gets to know the other attendants, she’ll be more apt to relax and feel confident when it’s her turn to head down the aisle. Of course, this isn’t an issue if she already knows the bridesmaids because everyone is related.
What exactly do you want your flower girl(s) to be doing when she’s walking down the aisle? Traditionally, she should scatter rose petals for the bride to walk upon. This is symbolic as a token of beauty. It is also thought to symbolize the bride walking down the path of a new life.
Some facilities will not allow the scattering of rose petals. If this is the case, there are other options available. One is to have your flower girl(s) drop silk rose petals in the aisle. They can be so realistic looking, that no one will realize that they’re silk. The flower girl basket can be filled with silk rose petals, or it can simply be a basket of flowers that she carries.
Another trend that is gaining in popularity is the pomander, a cylinder covered in flowers that is carried almost like a handbag. In the case where the facility won’t allow any petals, fresh or otherwise, to be dropped in the aisle, having this young attendant carry a pomander or a flower girl basket with an arrangement in it will still draw the oohs and ahhs!
Make sure you check with the facility where the ceremony will take place as to whether or not the scattering of petals is allowed. Then you can go ahead and order your flower girl basket and get on with your other plans.
Bonnie Goodwin Ray has more than sixteen years experience in the wedding industry. She is the author of Wedding Planning Made Easier and has become a leading expert in silk wedding bouquets design.