Pros and Cons of Floor Length Flower Girl Dresses

The time spent planning a wedding can be a stressful time for any bride. Even the simplest of weddings has a multitude of variables, each of which have the potential to cause headaches if they do not go according to plan. Dressing the wedding party is no different. The men have to remember to get fitted for tuxedos and the perfect dress for the bridesmaids must be selected and ordered, all in a time sensitive environment.

The flower girls are no exception. Children are the one variable that can never be fully known for any special occasion. Without a little extra planning before the wedding day, an inappropriate dress selection can turn your dream day into a nightmare.  Make sure to review the pros and cons of floor length flower girl dresses before you make any decisions.

Pro: Adorable Miniature Brides

How precious do little girls look when they are dressed up to look like a bride?  As most bridal gowns drag the ground, most flower girl dresses made to mirror the gown will be full length.  Not only does this make for perhaps the most adorable pictures of the bride and mini-bride to frame, but, since young girls are typically not seen in long, formal dresses, it also adds a touch of additional formality to the entire event. Also, the flower girl will love the fact that she and the bride are wearing similar dresses.

Con: Tripping Down the Aisle

Every bride must face one simple fact before making a final decision on flower girl dresses: flowers girls are still children. Yes, the look you have dreamed of having your flower girls wear since you were their age may involve the most classic, beautiful dress available. However, that means little if the flower girl cannot figure out how to walk in it.

As the mature members of the bridal party, your bridesmaids should be comfortable wearing whatever combination of shoes and dress length you can imagine so the temptation to do the same to the flower girls will exist. For this reason, however, you might want to resist that temptation.

Younger girls, though, simply do not have the experience in this type of clothing to pull off the same thing. They have not worn formal gowns to prom or Homecoming yet.  In fact, they may have never had occasion to wear a dress that went much below their knees.  While it is not the end of the world if they trip on the long hem and fall down while walking down the aisle, it may be an extra source of stress for you just before you make your entrance.  It may also be a source of embarrassment for the youngster. To avoid this potential problem, ensure that your flower girl has the poise and coordination and practice necessary to wear a full length dress.

Pro: Uniform Wedding Photos

Most likely, the bridesmaids will already be in full-length dresses unless a short and sassy style was selected in lieu of tradition. It may not be the main reason to select this style of dress, but photos have a more uniform appearance when everyone wears dresses of the same length.  The length can also help to hide any skinned knees from time spent on the playground from appearing in wedding photos.

Con: Misbehaving Flower Girls

Unless the dress is possessed, it is unlikely to be the sole cause of any misbehaving children on your special day. Kids will be kids and it does not matter if they are a guest of a member of the bridal party. Sometimes, behavior and poor attitudes will just happen and no amount of planning can completely avoid them.

Of course, you can take steps to minimize this problem and it starts with the selection of the flower girl dresses. There are some things to avoid at all costs unless you know your flower girls are mature enough to handle it. For example, those full, fluffy skirts you think look too cute on the website or shop mannequin are only able to keep that shape because of the material underneath, material most children would tell you is itchy or at best uncomfortable.  Every wedding (and marriage) is full of compromise so any bride should be used to a little give and take. However, the trade off must be carefully weighed.  Is it really worth little girls acting up or hiking up the skirt during the ceremony and reception to scratch at their legs just to have that fluffy, full-length skirt?  While a picture may say a thousand words, no picture will dull your memory, or erase it from the wedding video, once the skirt goes over their head.

About the Author

Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about weddings, usually focusing on a specific aspect of a wedding like flower girl dresses.

Skateboarding Girls