Wedding Supplies / Wedding Reception Supplies / Wedding Party Gifts / Wedding Favors

Of course, there are other options. Most weddings take place between June and September. This means that you have the perfect opportunity to find more affordable options. During the Easter season, almost all department stores provide dresses comparable to traditional flower girl (and in some cases, junior bridesmaid) dresses. Suits are sold during this time for the boys, and accessories can be found easily. Even if your wedding doesn't take place between June and September, you can plan ahead the year before.

Another good time is near Christmas, but the colors of clothing for this season is more limited and is usually darker (or brighter jewels) in tone. Similar suits (in darker colors) are sold during the Christmas season, but "wedding like" accessories are harder to find. If you are "in between seasons" or can't find what you like, you can always try consignment shops or thrift store. My four year old is wearing a lovely thrift shop example this year. It is cream-colored lace and has dusky pink roses and ribbons adorning the sleeves and bodice. Ruffles of lace adorn the skirt. I paid two dollars for it, but it's a gorgeous dress that makes her "feel like a princess". It also works perfectly for a "Victorian themed wedding".

If you don't have the time to shop with the children that are in your wedding, you do have a few alternatives. The first is multi-colored dresses. These generally have a print of roses or other flowers and many colors are represented throughout the dresses. Simply give the parent/s of the child a swatch of the bridesmaid dress color. Even if it does not match exactly, the look will be uniform. This is especially true if you have the children in the same or similar prints. If the boy is wearing a tuxedo, his cummerbund and bowtie can match the colors. If he will be wearing a suit, you can rent (or buy) only the vest in most cases and can use this to match the colors. The suit should be similar in color to the groom's wedding party.

The final option is to leave the choice up to the parent of the child. Armed with a color swatch and instructions to "match it as closely as possible", most parents will find a perfectly appropriate dress. If you would like a similar style or fabric (to the bridesmaid dresses), simply inform the parents of this. While I prefer to have the couple (bride or groom) shop with my children (and me), it doesn't always work out that way. These options are for those cases, but you should make every effort to be involved and let the children know how special they are to you.