My four year-old daughter is going to be a flower girl in my sister-in-law’s wedding. It’s somewhat informal and they told us to buy whatever we want. I don’t mind spending some money, but I would love to find something that’s not so poofy and over the top that she can wear it again. Just something light and pretty and summery. Any ideas?
If you want to get more use out of a flower girl dress, I’d suggest not searching for “flower girl dress” or you’ll end up with lots of tulle crinolines and bows the size of your daughter’s head. But there are sooo many beautiful little girls’ dresses that could work. Here are just a few that I love.
Updated for 2023
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Image above: Tutu Du Monde embellished ballerina style dresses
Lola + The Boys Diamonds and Pearls Dress
There are always a lot of ceremonial dresses that can easily be flower girl dresses that can be work again, if you look around at Maisonette. Plus they often go on sale! Look at brands like Holly Haste for something sweet and traditional; Lindsey Berns if you want to go with something more modern and flashy; or the beautiful tutu dresses from Lola + The Boys, above.
You probably know Tea Collection, but did you know they have a line of special occasion dresses that can be wonderful as flower girl dresses that can be worn again in less formal settings? They’re affordable, washable, practical, and VERY hand-me-downable. They refresh their selection every season so check back.
Habitual Kids is another good brand to know, with a wide selection at Nordstrom that’s all pretty affordable. This flutter-sleeved organza party dress is a nice choice and just $50! There are other variations too in other colors, most in sizes 0-6.
Don’t sleep on some of the mall stores for affordable smocked sundresses and play dresses that will be perfect for flower girls and super wearable and washable. Check Janie & Jack, for example. Or even Gap’s selection of girls’ party dresses are sweet for flower girls. In 2023, they offered an adorable velvet girls skater dress for $39.99 — and it drops to $19 when it’s on sale! (Maybe skip the sneakers though.)
Another idea–go in a totally different direction with the spectacular dresses from Australia’s Tutu Du Monde (also shown at very top). They even have a full flower girl edit now, but I’d look all over the site. (That’s how I found the Uptown Tutu Dress, above, 50% off while it lasts!) Even better, they now have a great selection at Nordstrom! When the wedding is over, a tutu dress will be well-loved staple of the dress-up trunk, guaranteed. My own daughter wore a Tutu Du Monde embellished ballerina dress like this one to her birthday party when she was 6, and I’ve never had so many people ask me about something my kids were wearing. It’s a beautiful and unexpected choice if you’re not worried about her upstaging the bride. But then, isn’t that part of the job of the flower girl?
For my sister’s wedding and my own, we got the flower girls dresses at Easter time. Lots of pretty dresses, perfect for a wedding, and any other summery parties they will be going to that year.
I really like the idea of getting dresses they can wear again. There are some really cute ones int he pics and from places I wouldn’t have even known about. Thank you!
My daughter was a flower girl in her aunts wedding when she was 12 along with her 10 year old cousin.There were no little girls so they both took on the role.the aunt bought them identical,white,poofy,knee length dresses with matching veils,gloves,lace anklets and white ‘mary jane’ shoes.to make both of them cuter and more little girlish,we did a cloth diaper and rubberpants on both of them under their dresses.they both looked very cute! Two years later when the daughter was 14 and in 8th grade,she went thru her catholic confirmation and per the parish dress code had to wear a white dress,veil,tights and white shoes.I had her try on her flower girl dress and veil and they still fit her! So she wore the flower girl dress and veil as her required outfit with the white tights and the mary jane shoes.i put her flower girl cloth diaper and rubber pants on her and she wore them under the tights for the day.So she got double use out of her flower girl outfit which saved me a lot of money!
My daughter is 13 and was the flower girl in our cousins wedding back in june.she made her first communion 5 years ago when she was 8,and i took her communion rubberpants out of the box and had her wear them under her flower girl dress.since she is older and larger in size,the rubberpants fit her tighter,but wern’t uncomfortable on her.for her confirmation at 14,she will wear the rubberpants again under her required white dress.
To jennifer and sheila-I am glad to see that there are other moms her who did diapers and rubberpants on their older daughters for weddings,confirmation,etc.my daughter,Lexi,is 15 and wears a cloth diaper and rubberpants for holidays and special occasions.She is a very girly girl and likes to dress up.I really feel that the cloth diapers and rubberpants worn under dresses really do make girls feel cute and more pure and innocent and also keeps their minds from thinking about boys!
I agree with jennifer,sheila and anamarie that flowergirls should be diaperd under their dresses! I have twin daughters who are 13 and they were both flowergirls in our neices wedding last august and i did a cloth diaper and loose fitting rubberpants on them under their cute poofy dresses.I got two packages of the gerber flat cloth diapers,10 to a package,in the 24×27 inch size and sewed the diapers together around the edges to make one ten ply thick diaper for each of them.I then got a card of pink head diaper pins to pin the diaper on them with.I got their rubberpants from a website in plain white,adult size medium.After their baths,they both laid side by side on a bed and i baby powered them,then pinned their diaper on them,then put the rubberpants on next,then their white tops then their poofy flowergirl dresses with the lace socks and white shoes and last their veils.Since their rubberpants fit them blousy,they crinkled under their dresses and it was so cute! both daughters looked cute and little girlish in their outfits and were perfectly ok with their cloth diaper and rubberpants under their dresses!
Our 15 year old daughter was the junior bride in her nieces wedding back on October 21st and i did a cloth diaper and rubberpants on her under her junior bride gown with white tights over them.I sewed a package of the curity cloth diapers together in the 26×27 inch size to make the one diaper and then got a pair of white adult size rubberpants from Babypants.com and then pinned the diaper on her with pink diaper pins and then put the rubberpants over it followed by the white tights.Her dress was the same as the nieces,floor length and poofy,and she had the same veil as the niece.The junior groom was 16 and in a tux and the daughter and him looked nice together! The niece also wore a bridal diaper that was disposable under her gown.It was cute seeing the daughter walking down the aisle and knowing she had the diaper and rubberpants on under her tights.
To annamarie-When our daughter,who was 14,at the time and the husband attended the purity ball,the daughter wore a white ankle length dress with bouffant shoulders and white tights with the white ‘mary jane’ shoes and a cute flower head wreath with ribbons down the back.The husband and i had her wear a size 8 pampers diaper with white rubberpants over it under the tights to add to her purity.
Our daughter is 14 and in eighth grade and was just confirmed two days ago on may 15th.Per the parish code she had to wear a white poofy floor length dress and veil with white tights and white patent leather shoes.The husband and i had her wear a cloth diaper and rubberpants under the tights to add to her purity and innocence.I sewed one package of the Gerber cloth diapers together to make one diaper out of them and it was pinned on her with pink diaper pins.I got her white rubberpants from a website in adult size.After her bath,she laid on her bed and i powered her then pinned the diaper on her then put her camisole on next.Dad then came in and put the rubberpants and tights on her,then we both her dress,veil and shoes on her.She looked amazing in the outfit!
When my daughter was a flowergirl in her aunts wedding,at age 13,I didnt bother with the cloth diaper,but instead i did ruffled rubberpants on her under her poofy dress.They were a pair of rubberpants that had a white,nylon outer covering and had six rows of pink lace all the way across the back.I put them on her when i dressed her,and they looked really cute on her under her dress.A year later,when she was 14,she was confirmed and had to wear a white dress and veil,so i had her wear the ruffled rubberpants under that dress as well.
When i was 14 and my sister Annie was 12,we were both flowergirls in our Aunts wedding.Both mom and our aunt wanted us to be like ‘little girls’ for our role,so we both were dress in white,poofy,sleeveless,top of the knees flowergirl dresses with a flowercrown with ribbons down the back,white tights with ruffles across the back and white ‘maryjane’ shoes.Mom had both of us wear a pair of super large size baby rubberpants under our tights to make us feel even more little girlish.Our aunt and her bridesmaids were shown the rubberpants under our tights and they thought it was very cute! It was a little different having the rubberpants on next to our skin the whole time!
When i was 13,me and my two sisters,who were 10 and 8,made our First Holy Communions together in the class of 2nd graders.Mom dressed us in identical,short sleeve knee length communion dresses with the veils,lace anklets and the white maryjane shoes.After our baths,she had the three of us lay side by side on my bed,then rubbed us down with baby lotion,then slid a size 8 pampers diaper under each of us,applied babypowder,then fastened the pampers on each of us.Next she put a pair of white rubberpants on each of us over our pampers,followed by our white tee shirts,then the rest of our communion outfit.My two sisters were fine with the pampers and rubberpants,but being 13,i was a little paranoid that people would somehow see them under my dress! The three of us were just like the 7 year old girls in our class!Half way thru our party,mom took us to my bedroom,and took the pampers off of us and we wore the rubberpants under our dresses untill bed time.
As a wife and mom to two daughters and a son,i have been to several weddings over the years and have seen flowergirls ranging in age fro 6 to 14 and the majority of them all had cloth diapers and rubberpants on under their dresses.A few that i saw just had rubberpants with out the diaper under their dresses,but all the rest had the cloth diaper and the rubberpants.The wedding with the two 14 year old twin flowergirls,both of them were in cute,poofy,sleeveless,midthigh length dresses with veils,lace anklets and white shoes and both of them had a cloth diaper with ruffled rubberpants over it under their dresses.They both looked very cute and little girlish as they walked down the aisle.I feel that cloth diapers and rubberpants are appropriate for flowergirls to wear under their dresses to make them feel cute!My two daughters have never been in a wedding as flowergirs,but when the both made their First Holy Communions at 11 and 13,i did the cloth diaper and rubberpants on both of them under their poofy communion dresses and they looked very cute and pure in their outfits.
When i was 14,my bestie Anna,who was also 14,was a flowergirl in her cousins wedding along with a 4 and 5 year old.She asked me to go along with her to the wedding and be her support person.So i went with her and her parents and when we got to the church,her mom and anna and i went to the nursery right away.The two little girls were there with there moms and they were all ready dressed in their cute white outfits.They both were in sleeveless,poofy,midthigh length dresses with veils,lace socks and white maryjane shoes and they were on the floor playing,and thats when i saw they each had a cloth diaper and plastic pants on under their dresses!Anna’s mom told me that anna is going to wear the same outfit and she took off her clothes and got into a crib and i watched as her mom pinned a diaper on her .then put the plastic pants on over it followed by her camisole.She got our of the crib and her short dress was put on her,then the veil,lace socks and the white maryjanes.She looked cute and just like the 4 and 5 year old.