Mini Bride Flower Girls Kinda Freak Me Out

I have an aunt who was married in the late 1980s and both my little sister and I were in it -- me, as the proud "junior" bridesmaid (donning a miniature version of the adult bridesmaid dress) and my sister as flower girl. The interesting thing about my sister's dress is that it was nearly impossible for my aunt to find a flower girl dress in the same shade of teal as ours. She opted to have my sister's dress custom-made, just so it would match. I believe she ordered yardage of the exact fabric from the dress manufacturer. Smart thinking, eh? I think so.

As darling as a poufy white dress can be on a 3-year-old, it sort of freaks me out to see little versions of adult brides at weddings. Perhaps I am totally alone here, but I just have to wonder how this trend came to be. Why is it that so many brides have the flower girl match them, as opposed to the rest of the bride's attendants? Wouldn't a flower girl be considered part of the bridal attendants and shouldn't she be dressed the same as the others? Has the flower girl role morphed into some living symbolism of virginal purity? See? It's kind of strange when you start thinking about it. Suffice it to say, I highly doubt I'll be going that route with our little flower girl.

Now, I'm not sure folks today would have much trouble finding a perfect flower girl dress in shades other than white or ivory. Google is your friend, here. There are heaps and tons of websites who sell frilly pageant-style frocks, children's formal wear, flower girl dresses and more. Pegeen is a great website for inspiration, but the dresses cost on average $100+. Sophia's Style is less costly, but materials are less sumptuous and colors more limited. Ebay is another really good resource -- after all, how many times do you think that flower girl dress will be worn? With over 12,000 auctions for 'flower girl dress' on eBay right now, you could save a pretty penny if you consider this route (and what parent wouldn't appreciate saving money?)

{All images courtesy: Pegeen}