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Guide>>Attendants>>Article
The
Flower Girl
By
Megan Mercer
The flower girl is most often a young relative
or daughter of a close friend typically between the ages
of three and eight.
What is the flower girl's
role?
The flower girl
directly precedes the ring bearer in
the processional. If there is no ring bearer, then she
directly precedes the bride.
She may walk alone,
with another flower
girl, or even with
the
ring
bearer. She typically carries a decorative
basket filled with flower
petals
and tosses
them along
the aisle runner. The
flower girl does not stand in the receiving
line.
Note: Some ceremony sites don't
allow the tossing of petals because of the potential
mess. Some popular alternatives are to have her
hand single roses to the guests as she walks down the
aisle
or to simply carry a bouquet of
flowers.
What is the role of the flower
girl's parents?
The parents should pay for
the flower girl's wedding attire. The parents
are responsible for bringing her to the wedding and
rehearsal unless other arrangements are made. The
flower girl should be included with the bridesmaids
in the
rehearsal,
wedding day transportation, and photography. After
the ceremony the parents are responsible for her again.
Tip: Many
brides choose to seat the flower girl's parents as
close as possible
to the front of the church/ceremony site. This
way the flower girl can focus on and get encouragement
from her parents as she stands at the
altar. It is also common to have a very young flower
girl sit with her parents after she walks down
the
aisle.
What pre-wedding events should
the flower girl attend?
The flower girl
should attend the rehearsal, but she does not need
to attend the rehearsal
dinner. Make sure
that she gets lots of practice and guidance at
the rehearsal to help eliminate wedding day mishaps.
In addition,
it
is smart to have the flower girl attend the shower
or bridal luncheon, if possible. This will help her
to feel
more comfortable on the wedding day by seeing familiar
faces in the bridal party.
