The answer to what is a flower girl at a wedding is from the name itself. The young girl who’s also a member of the processional, traditionally scatters flower petals along the aisle.
And if you’re curious, we’ll talk about the responsibilities, how to choose, and if it’s possible to have many flower girls at the wedding. Then, you can read how to include nieces and nephews in the wedding if you have many children you want to include on your big day.
What Is A Flower Girl At A Wedding: Responsibilities And How To Choose
The flower girl at weddings is traditionally a young girl that carries a basket with petals down the aisle. She’ll scatter the petals as she walks, which also signifies the bride’s arrival in the processional.
Typically, the flower girl will walk after the maid of honor and right before the bride. But in some weddings, the flower girl walks side by side with the ring bearer, a young boy who carries the wedding rings instead.
But besides scattering flowers in the processional, the flower girl in modern weddings nowadays can also do other things. For example, she may carry a sign, hold a balloon, blow bubbles, have a bouquet, or even pull a wagon with younger children down the aisle.
What are the flower girl’s duties?
Like the bridal party members, the flower girl has different duties before and after the wedding. However, before the wedding day, the flower girl’s parents should know the responsibilities.
For example, they should prepare the flower girl’s dress and the prop she’ll carry down the aisle. If it’s your daughter, make sure to guide her on how to walk down the aisle or attend the rehearsal where the members of the processional will be informed of what to do.
Then, during the wedding ceremony, the flower girl will walk down the aisle but know that she’s not expected to stand with the bridal party like the other female members of the processional. Being a young child, she can continue to sit with her parents during the ceremony, depending on how likely she might get bored.
The flower girl is also not expected to walk during the recessional like the other processional members. And at the wedding reception, the couple will talk with her parents regarding her participation in the grand entrance if she wants or if she would sit at the head table or with her parents.
Overall, the age and usual demeanor of a child her age will dictate her duties at the wedding. Talk with her parents to know where she will participate throughout the day.
Who should be a flower girl?
The flower girl is typically a young child close to the bride or groom. Like when choosing a ring bearer, there are no rules regarding the age recommendation for the flower girl.
At most weddings, the flower girls are between the age of three and eight. But of course, consider her expected behavior and if she can handle the wedding responsibilities.
Understandably, children at weddings are unpredictable, and even walking down the aisle might be too distracting for them. And in less traditional weddings, it’s even less surprising to see an older girl or even an adult man take the role of the flower girl, where the latter is a unique and hilarious wedding trend nowadays.
How Many Flower Girls Are In A Wedding?
There are no rules at weddings regarding how many flower girls you can have. However, if the bride or groom has many close girls they want for this role, then they can have multiple flower girls walk down the aisle.
The flower girls can walk in a single file, or the oldest one can pull a wagon with the younger flower girls. Furthermore, your flower girls can be of different ages, or a teen flower girl can accompany a very young flower girl.
What Is The Meaning Of A Flower Girl In A Wedding?
Weddings usually have a flower girl to honor a young female child close to the couple. She can be a relative or a close friend’s daughter, and including her in the wedding party is a way to honor her.
However, some view flower girls and their tradition of scattering flower petals before the bride as a symbol of fertility. Back in the day, little girls walking down the aisle with grains and herbs also represent hope for the bride.
Another interpretation of having a wedding flower girl is innocence. It reflects the bride’s childhood as she enters adulthood as a wife.
And if you want more ways to honor your relatives at your wedding, read how to include family in the wedding ceremony.
Conclusion
And that’s it! You just learned what is a flower girl at a wedding, which is a girl close to the bride or groom that walks down the aisle scattering flower petals.
She is also usually the ring bearer’s partner, a young boy close to the couple who carries their rings during the processional. So overall, you can have many flower girls if you want, and there is no rule regarding the age she must have.