In the excitement of wedding planning and asking attendants to be part of the special day, little – but important – details can sometimes be left out. Who pays for the flower girl dress and ring bearer suit may be one of those little details.

In today’s weddings, many times the parents or guardians of these young attendants pay for the flower girl dress and ring bearer suits or tuxedos, just as bridesmaids, groomsmen and other attendants are usually expected to pay for their wedding attire. Often parents are honored when their child is asked to be part of the wedding and they are willing to pay for the dress or suit. The bride typically either chooses the flower girl dress or instructs the parents on what she’d like to see her flower girl wearing – specifying color and style.

Expense should always be considered when the bride is choosing a flower girl dress, especially if the parents are expected to pay for it. Considering a dress that can be worn for another event is also thoughtful in this case. Giving parents the option of choosing the dress in a specific style or color lets them have freedom in shopping around for the best price to match the style.

Sometimes the bride prefers to purchase the flower girl dress and ring bearer suit herself. In this case, the bride often considers the dress her “thank you” gift to the flower girl and her parents. This is especially useful if the bride has her heart set on a flower girl dress that is on the expensive side and she is hesitant to ask the parents to pay that much.

In order to prevent misunderstandings, it’s important for the bride to discuss who will pay for the flower girl dress or ring bearer suit at the time she asks the parents about their child’s participation. An open discussion on projected costs, or what can be afforded, may also be useful at this time if the bride plans on choosing the dress herself.

If the bride wishes parents to choose the flower girl dress, color and style may be discussed now or at a later time, but deciding a date to have the dress chosen by is a good idea. This will give the parents ample time to show the bride what they have chosen before making a purchase, and will allow time for changes if necessary.

In today’s world of online shopping across land and sea, there is no end to finding flower girl dresses – and suits for boys – to match the style and color you need as well as keeping within the budget you have. If you prefer to shop in person, “window” shop around online first to get an idea of what’s available so you’ll know whether you’re getting a good buy at the stores you visit.