Expert Advice : how to choose flower girl dresses and page boy outfits

Expert Advice : how to choose flower girl dresses and page boy outfits

I am often asked : what kind of garments should I choose for my flower girls and page boys? What colours are the best ? Does the flower girl colour dress have to match exactly my wedding dress? How old should my flower girls and page boys be? When is the good time to order?...

So I thought I would share with you my insiders’ tips, having designed and worked with brides to be for more than a decade, helping them styling their junior bridal party…

Which style do you want for your wedding?

What will your wedding look like? If you are thinking of the x factor you want your wedding to have, then a few ideas could help you determine what will make it unique.

First, the dress code. Do you plan on having a black tie wedding, a traditional wedding, or a more relaxed one? Would you like to add an extra touch of elegance?

Next question is the location. Will it be a city style wedding or a countryside one?

City wedding page boy outfits in London Little Eglantine

For a London wedding...

Or if your wedding is taking place in a specific country or region, do you want the children outfits to reflect it?

Scottish wedding tartan baby flower girl dress little eglantine

The groom being Scottish, the bride wanted her flower girl dress to match her husband's tartan waistcoat.

You should also ask yourself, what main colour you would like for your wedding theme.

First and before all, it is your day. It’s your chance to share with your family, friends and loved ones what your personal taste is about. Make it count.

Flower girl soft pink sash matching blush pink bridesmaid dresses little eglantine

The flower girl is wearing a soft pink sash perfectly matching the bridesmaid dresses and her silk organza orverskirt and puff sleeves are a delightful reminder of the bridesmaids silk chiffon dresses.

There are 3 areas where colours should match. The flowers at the altar/ reception, the flower girls / page boys outfits and last but not least, the bridesmaids’ dresses/ best men’s ties. You don’t need all the bridal party garments to be made of the very same colours. Different colours can create a real harmony, as they complete each other very well… A powder pink for the girls, a pale green cummerbund for the boys and the best men ties for example…

Think colour gradients, tones, shades, constrasts….

White flower girl dress constrasting with black bridesmaid dresses - Little Eglantine

Photo: Jessica Clarke Photography. The white flower girl dress makes a very nice contrast with the black bridesmaid dresses, all being short length.

Meanwhile, depending on the style you wish to give to your wedding, the children’s outfits can be classic, as in Kate’s wedding or the flower girls’ dresses could be shorter, as seen on Pippa’s wedding.

For a traditional wedding, my brides love our Gallia dress, with its peter pan collar and puff sleeves. They often choose the ¾ length buttons shorts or page boy knickerbockers with a double breasted shirt and cummerbund.

White and pale green matching flower girl dress and traditional page boy outfits for a London wedding - Little Eglantine

Photo by Kate Nielen Photography - This gorgeous wedding  was taking place at Kensington Palace. The colours were white and green, which reflected in the page boy outfits and flower girl dresses as well as the flowers and the tablescapes:

Photo by Kate Nielen Photography

For a more romantic look, our silk organza dresses are a perfect hit : Chloe with its frill collar, Adele, with its flounce sleeves. Brides also love our Josephine dress and its deep back… the page boys will look hyper cute with peter pan collar shirts,  ¾ length buttons shorts and contrasting cummerbund.

Olympia and Celeste flower girl dresses

Our Celeste and Olympia flower girl dresses, for a perfect romantic look

For a countryside wedding, white flower girl dresses with a pale green sash are adorable, whatever design you choose, and you can match them with page boys wearing white Mao collar shirts with pale green cummerbunds and white cotton shorts.

For those looking for more contemporary looks, our knee-length dresses are perfect : Emilie, Ambre, Dorothee,….

Emmanuelle knee-length flower girl dress in silver and pink with matching traditional page boy outfit by designer little eglantine

Our Emmanuelle flower girl dress in silver with powder pink piping and sash and matching pag eboy outfit

And for those looking for a more relaxed yet elegant wedding, our Amelie and Suzanne short dresses are to die for… the page boys will be wearing a sailor top with the ribbon matching the flower girl dress ribbon, a cummerbund and knickerbockers.

Matching traditional page boy outfits and flower girl dresses by Little Eglantine

For this wedding, the bride decided for the Amelie flower girl dress and the page boy outfits to be made in the same pique de coton, with ribbons in different pastel colours that complimented each other very well.

 

The children’s outfit must be beautiful on the outside yet allow those wearing them to play and have fun. Boys specially need to be able to run, climb trees or simply sit down to play comfortably. You will want the children to look their best and happy as can be. There is nothing quite like having issues with the children’s clothes during the celebration.

So choose good quality fabrics, comfortable garments that do not scratch.

The advantage with our taffeta fabrics is that you can rinse off any stains (Orange juice spills for example), which would have otherwise left a permanent stain on silk fabrics.

It is important that the garments are adapted to the child’s age and that everyone feels at ease and comfortable.

Pale green junior bridesmaid dresses matching the flower girl dresses and traditional page boy outfits by deisnger Little Eglantine

 

The junior bridesmaid is wearing a dress style that is perfect for her age, while all the junior bridal party is wearing pale green taffeta outfits with a contrasting ivory sash

We don’t want children to look like mini adults or older flower girls to look like little ones…

For your page boys, make sure that the bottoms have an adjustable elasticated waistband, so that the shirt does not come out. The cummerbund must also be adjustable for that perfect look. But don’t put too much pressure on you nor on the boys… the most important is for them to look gorgeous at church and for the photo sessions… then… boys will always remain boys!!

For the shoes, I recommend elegant leather shoes that little girls will always be able to wear again. We offer a nice selection of very elegant and comfy shoes.

Depending on the wedding style, boys will be wearing Converses or loafers, without socks for a more elegant style yet relaxed. We also offer a range of elegant page boy leather shoes that they can wear again.

I recommend that children wear their new shoes a few days before the wedding to make sure they feel comfortable in them and don’t have hurting feet on the D day.

 

Planning

The best time to think of your children’s outfit is right after you’ve ordered your bridal dress, when you start thinking of your bridesmaid dresses.

Flower girl dress and page boy outfit matching the bridesmaid dresses Little Eglantine

Photo by Guy Hearn photography - The page boy is young enough to wear a soft pink cummerbund, matching the bridesmaid dresses, but don't try on older ones, they might not like it so much!

If you plan on having the flower girl dresses and page boy outfits made, do not hesitate to ask for fabric swatches! This will help you harmonise your adult and children bridal party garments. They will all look ravishing and of good taste.

Then I also recommend you place your order 3 months before the wedding. I always advise that my clients give me the children measurements three months ahead. I can then anticipate their growth (children tend to grow up fast!) and recommend which size is best to order for a perfect fit at the time of the wedding. You can then concentrate on the other parts of the run up to the wedding, and rest assured the garments will look perfect on the kids.

Little Eglantine operates on an order basis, which means that all our creations have our signature dresses as model and we let you customize your chosen one to fit your needs, to the colour of the dress, the sash, the button and even the piping! So each dress is unique.

I am always so happy to listen to you, to better understand your style, discuss your needs and also provide solutions to make sure you get the children bridal party of your dreams.

I believe that every bride is unique and that every junior bridal party should be too. No one wants their wedding to look like their neighbor’s.

We are often asked what the best age is for pageboys and flower girls. I recommend to choose kids who are not too shy and will proudly walk down the aisle looking like princes and princesses. Their age can vary between 3 and 7.

Three year-old children are so cute with their lovely cheeks and chubby look ... but make sure they are comfortable enough to go down the aisle with you without crying...

For me, 4 years olds make the best page boys / flowergirls. They aren’t shy of others anymore and can remain calm for an hour or two and they are still absolutely irresistible!

Flower girls and page boys are perfect to hold the bride’s veil, and you can imagine how proud they would be! You can also ask one page boy to be your ring bearer…

How cute it is to see adorable flower girls going up the aisle in their beautiful dress and sprinkle with rose petals, being escorted by their little knight!

 

Having slightly older flower girls/ page boys can be a good idea as they can lookout for younger ones.

 

Organisation during the wedding

 

Then, why not organize for the kids to have their own meal table? With its own decoration?

Sweets

Picture from : The ice dream experience

Why not provide with an animation especially for the children, like clowns, balloons, an ice cream bar, their own buffet…

Ice cream cart

I love the idea of an ice cream cart! Cart from : The ice dream experience

Having an au pair who will take care of the children during the cocktail so that they do not rush on the adults buffet or run between your guests’ legs is also a very good idea…

During our wedding, the au pair had the idea of suggesting each kid would draw the bride (me!) and offer the drawing to me at the end of the dinner as a present. There were hearts everywhere! I could feel all their love and owe for the bride I was... I have always kept these touching drawings.

 

So remember… it’s your day! Choose the children and the garments YOU want and do not hesitate to contact me should you need further advice. I always love chating with brides about their plans!

Flower girl dresses in Pastel contrasting colours by Little Eglantine



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