Ivory flower girl dress with organza

Choosing a Flower Girl Dress - Part I

When selecting flower girl dresses, it's important to consider what will work best for the tiniest member of your wedding party - your flower girls. Flower girl dresses are meant to make your guests gush with adoring smiles at the little girl wearing it, but selecting a dress that is too uncomfortable or to formal for the occasion may create a scenario much different from what you were thinking.

A flower girl dress should be selected with comfort in mind. These days, some brides even change dresses between their ceremony and the reception. Your flower girl is no different. Flower girl dresses can be just as uncomfortable. Keep this in mind and consider keeping a spare, comfortable dress on hand for post ceremony events that still coordinates with your wedding party.

Tulle is a popular fabric for flower girl dresses. Tulle is also scratchy, especially for a little girl sitting through a long service waiting to eat cake! If the skirt is unlined, consider adding a soft petticoat to reduce the discomfort level.

Shiny or matte satin or rich silks may seem like perfect fabrics for creating the perfect flower girl dress. However, the construction of the dress is very important; it can make the dress comfortable or scratchy. And, be thoughtful of the weight of the fabrics/volume of the gown on the tiny ones.

Excessive amounts of accent items on a flower girl dress are also something to shy away from. Beautiful, shiny sequins or crystals can easily get caught on things and tear off in a heartbeat. Yet, nothing could be prettier on some dresses! So ask yourself - is she likely to act like a little lady - or a tomboy?

Janet Donahue has specialized in Flower Girl Dresses for the past 15 years and has produced a free set of Wedding Tips for Brides with Flower Girls (and Ring Bearers, of course). Be sure to get your free Wedding Tips.