Playing ‘weddings’ and dressing up with a net curtain as a veil, is all part of growing up. So if you ask your young niece, sister or friend’s daughter to be your flowergirl on your wedding day, you’ll be fulfilling a little girl’s dream. But what type of flowers should you give her? We take a look at the different options available…
A little flowergirl will love being part of your big day and will really ramp up the ‘cute’ factor. She’ll adore wearing a pretty frock, having her hair done and being involved in everything – including walking down the aisle with you and being in many of the photographs. So, apart from looking sweet while walking down the aisle, what does a flowergirl actually do? Well, it’s probably going to involve holding flowers at some point!
Flower ideas for little ones
Flower pomanders
A flower pomander can look absolutely gorgeous when carried by a young bridesmaid. Unlike a posy, it doesn’t need to be held at a particular height or angle to look good. Your young helper simply slips her hand through the ribbon loop and that’s it. The ribbon can even tie in with your colour scheme!
You can have flower pomanders made from all sorts of blooms – hydrangeas, roses, peonies, gerberas, daisies – just discuss with your florist to find out what’s in season and what they recommend. Ideally you need a full-headed flower that can be easily arranged into a ball shape.
Flower baskets
Another sweet idea for young flowergirls is to have a small flower arrangement created in a basket with a long handle. This looks very sweet being carried up the aisle and the handle can be festooned with ribbons in a colour that co-ordinates with the flowergirls’ sashes.
If a little one tires of carrying flowers, she can just sit the basket on the ground and it’ll look pretty decorating the wedding reception – maybe put the baskets near the wedding cake, seating plan or gift table.
Confetti
This is one area where it’s essential that your flowergirl knows what she’s supposed to do. Rehearse with your girls let the older girls get involved if you’re throwing confetti, especially if your flowergirl is under six.
This is because there’s a chance that she might get overwhelmed on the big day, dump her basket of confetti and run to the arms of her nearest relative. To avoid this, show her how to scatter a few petals at a time down the aisle, rather than great handfuls. Also remind her of the speed at which she should go, so that you’re not walking back down the aisle at a snail’s pace!
Posies and bouquets
A small flower posy is quite traditional for flower girls and it’s very sweet if it echoes some of the flowers in the bride’s bouquet. Posies created from one variety of flower can also be very effective and sweet peas in early summer are a particular favourite – they smell wonderful and come in a variety of colours to co-ordinate with your bridesmaids’ dresses.
Gerberas and daisies also look fetching carried by young flowergirls. Roses and peonies might be a little too sophisticated but it’s up to you. Set up a mood board showing bouquets and looks that you like and talk to your florist. To keep costs down find out what blooms are in season and match the colours with your wedding theme.
Flowergirls are wonderful at a wedding – but you need to think carefully about their ages, the responsibilities they’ll have and the demands that are going to be put on them by your wedding day. Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse again. The key is to be prepared.
