How to Choose a Flower Girl Dress

Start with her height, not her age

Age labels are the single biggest cause of returns in children's clothing. Two five-year-olds can be 10 cm apart, and the label only knows about one of them. Measure her standing against a wall without shoes, then match the number to a size chart.

As a rough guide: size 5 fits about 104-110 cm, size 6 fits 110-116 cm, size 7 fits 116-122 cm. If she lands on a boundary, take the larger size — a slightly long hem can be taken up in an afternoon, a tight bodice cannot be fixed at all.

Buy 6-8 weeks out, not two

This is the advice nobody wants and everybody needs. Six to eight weeks gives you room for the two things that actually go wrong: the dress arrives and the fit is off, or she grows between ordering and the wedding.

It also leaves time for alterations. A hem or a strap adjustment takes a local tailor a day; finding out you need one the night before does not.

Fabric decides whether she's happy at hour four

A wedding day is long for a child. She will sit through a ceremony, stand for photos, eat, and then run around a dance floor. The dress has to survive all four.

• Lined tulle — the classic look, but the lining is what stops it itching. Unlined tulle against skin is the most common reason a child wants the dress off by the speeches.
• Satin and chiffon — comfortable and photograph beautifully, but show creases from sitting. Fine for a short ceremony, less so for a long reception.
• Cotton blends — the most comfortable and the easiest to wash. Less formal, but for an outdoor or daytime wedding they often look more appropriate anyway.
• Sashes that tie at the back — worth seeking out. They give you 3-4 cm of adjustment on the day, which is exactly the margin you need if she's had a growth spurt.

Matching the wedding without matching it exactly

Flower girl dresses rarely need to match the bridesmaids precisely, and trying to often looks worse. Picking up one element — the sash colour, the fabric, a floral detail — reads as coordinated in photographs while letting her wear something actually designed for a child.

Ivory and white are traditional; if the bride is in bright white, ivory on the flower girl can look accidentally dingy in photos. When in doubt, ask which white the dress is and match that.

What to have ready on the day

Pack a small kit: a spare pair of tights, a stain wipe, and safety pins. Every experienced parent at a wedding has all three, and the one who doesn't is the one who needs them.

Let her wear the dress once before the wedding, for an hour at home. It surfaces the itchy seam or the too-tight armhole while there's still time to do something about it.

Common questions