I receive many
frantic calls from brides-to-be who have not yet
picked out a flower girl dress, despite a
calendar rapidly approaching their special
occasion. Sometimes the call is from a frantic
mother who was bestowed the "honor" of
picking out the flower girl dress, having just
learned that her daughter was a late addition to
the wedding party. I have even received an email
from a concerned grandmother trying to outfit
her grandsons for a family wedding party held on
a beach. As finding the right clothes for the
youngest members of the wedding party is often a
complicated assignment, I have tried to simplify
this task by preparing this guide.
The bride-to-be wants to complement the overall
tone and mood of the wedding party, whether
formal or informal, while still having the
children stand out from the older members of the
wedding party. To accomplish this, however,
there are a number of factors that must be taken
into consideration before selecting the right
apparel. Children like to play and run around,
no matter the occasion, and generally do not
like fussy clothing. Also, since the expense of
the children’s clothing is usually borne by
the child’s parents, mom and dad would prefer
to find appropriate children’s clothing that
could be worn again at another occasion.
The general requirements are that the
children’s clothing must be beautiful, in
keeping with the rest of the wedding party,
practical for future wear, and kid proof. All in
all, a tall order to fill.
Clothing that
complements the wedding party. The children's
clothing, like the bridesmaid's dresses, should
be a reflection of the bride and the style and
mood that she wants to convey on her special
day. Remember, the first ones down the aisle are
the flower girl and ring bearer! In order for
the clothing of the junior members of the
wedding party to be consistent with that of the
bride, groom, bridesmaids, and ushers, it should
be similar in style, color, and possibly fabric,
but may be a bit more unconventional. A bride
can have more flexibility and fun with the
children’s apparel. Their clothes can make a
special comment about the bride’s unique style
that may not be completely conveyed through the
elegant bridal clothing, flowers and setting.
For this reason, I like to think that children's
clothing can serve as an exclamation point to
the entire wedding scene!
Because
children's clothing can play such an important
role, regardless of the setting, the clothing
should be:
Elegant, yet
suitable to the setting of the occasion. The
flower girl’s dress may be different in color
than the bridesmaid’s dresses, picking up a
coordinating color from the flowers in the
bridal bouquets. This flower girl would stand
out without drawing away attention from the rest
of the party.
Unique. The
clothing should have special touches such as
beautiful detailing at the neckline, trim and
waist.
High Quality. The
fabric should have body and a nice lining. The
clothing needs to hold up, especially if the
wedding is outdoors in the warm weather.
Age Appropriate.
For example, a 4-year-old girl in a strapless
gown would not be appropriate.. If there are a
number of flower girls of different ages,
consider each wearing different cuts of the same
fabric, in a slightly altered style that
reflects their age.
Practicality. The
children’s clothing should be comfortable,
especially considering the children are on
display in what is normally an uncomfortable
situation for them. During pictures, you would
not want the ring bearer pulling at his collar.
Overly fussy clothing can be a hindrance. Kids
are active and are going to run around at an
outdoor wedding, so avoid selecting clothing
that will be untied or coming loose prior to the
ceremony or during the reception when photos are
still being taken.
Since the
children’s parents are typically paying for
the outfits, they would like to buy quality
items that could accommodate additional wearing.
I've been told that some bridal shop clothes are
designed for a single wearing and are
intentionally poorly constructed in order to
keep the cost down. However, such bridal shop
clothing is still not inexpensive, making it
worth paying a bit more for quality and the
ability for future wearing.
Regarding future
wear, although some children’s clothing
appropriate for weddings is formally tailored,
many styles are less formal as you can see on
the links below. Often formal styles can be made
appropriate for less formal wear with only minor
alterations, such as hem shortening.
Regardless of who
is picking out the children’s clothing, the
parents should get the bride’s approval and
vice versa. Good communication will ensure that
everyone is happy on that special day. |
