A guest article by our friends at Truly Experiences.

A traditional wedding has a flower girl to sprinkle petals before the bride enters, and a young boy to be the ring bearer. But there’s no reason why a wedding in the 21st century has to follow these traditions. In fact, you could forego these roles entirely if you want your big day to be clean and simple.

However, maybe you like the idea of giving a nod to tradition, but you don’t have a girl or boy in your life of the appropriate age. On the flip side, you might have several little cousins, godchildren or nieces and nephews. Choosing one over another could cause a major rift!

So why not get creative?

These days, lots of brides and grooms are filling the roles of flower girl and ring bearer in fun new ways. Here are some of the cutest alternatives people have come up with.

• Multiple Flower Girls / Attendants

Perhaps you have lots of kids in your life, whether they are cousins, nieces and nephews, or your friends’ kids. Choosing only one flower girl or ring bearer may be impossible. But who says there has to only be one? A posse of little girls scattering petals down the aisle will melt all your guests’ hearts.

If they are different ages, you can get them to walk in a line from tallest to littlest. Maybe you want a different task for the boys. You could rope them into handing out programs or showing people to their seats.

If you choose this option, make sure all the kids’ parents are fully on board and know what their children will be doing on the day. The kids are likely to have even more fun because they are doing it together, but several kids can be a lot to handle!

We recommend appointing someone who is good with children to keep an eye on them. They can make sure they are happy and in the right place at the right time.

• Flower Boys / Ring Bearer Girls

There is no law that says only girls can scatter petals and only boys can carry rings. If you have your heart set on flower petals but you only have a little nephew, or you want a ring bearer, but you only have a little niece, no problem!

A girl ring bearer can still wear a pretty dress, but if she is into the idea, you could dress her in a cute snazzy suit. You might put your flower boy in a white suit to give a nod to the traditional white dress worn by the flower girl.

If he is not so into the flower idea, you could make him hold a sign saying “here comes the bride” instead. Once you aren’t stuck in the idea of the traditional gender roles, the sky is the limit.

• Flower Grannies & Ring Bearer Granddads

From switching up gender roles to switching up age roles!

Enlisting your granny (or grannies) to be the flower girl or grandad to be the ring bearer is a super fun way to make them feel like they are part of the proceedings. They are likely to have an absolute blast and the guests will love it too.

Incorporating your grandparents into your special day in such a unique way is adorable in the best way possible. Your guests will be talking about the fun twist on the flower girl idea for months to come. Bonus? You won’t have to worry about parents or misbehaving youngsters!

• Get Your Pup Involved

There are loads of ways to get your pooch involved in your wedding ceremony to make your wedding the cutest affair ever. If they are very well trained, you could get your pup to carry a little basket with the rings inside. Otherwise, a pouch attached to their harness or collar works perfectly too.

If you are not blessed with a perfectly behaved pooch, the idea of attaching your valuable rings to them may inspire a heart attack. In this case, you could get one of the bridesmaids or attendants to wheel them in a wagon with a cute sign attached. Or you could go with the flower pup option and get someone to walk your doggo down the aisle, complete with a garland of flowers. Doggy dress or tuxedo optional!

• Junior Attendants

Perhaps you have some preteens or teenagers in your life who are too old to be flower girls and ring bearers but too young to be bridesmaids and groomsmen. In this case, you could make them junior bridesmaids or simply give them the title of “attendants”. This will get them involved in the ceremony in a way that makes them feel important rather than babyish.

What you decide to have them do is up to you. For example, for the junior bridesmaids, you could still get them to do the traditional “flower girl” activities, but also incorporate them in other (age-appropriate) bridal party activities. Having them join you for a high tea or pamper session at a spa reinforces the idea that they’re not little kids anymore and are a big part of your day.

Don’t be afraid to give older kids tasks and responsibilities. Chances are, they will welcome the chance to not have to listen to boring adults chattering on forever.

• Flower Baby

If the little niece, nephew or godchild in your life is too young to walk, you can still bring their adorableness into the ceremony. How? Enlist one of your bridesmaids or an older child to pull them in a mini wagon! There is really nothing cuter than a baby in a wagon – add flower adornments, and the cuteness factor goes through the roof.

For this option to work though, you need to have a calm, chill baby who won’t get overwhelmed and start crying for mummy. If the baby in your life is a fussy one, you should probably go for one of the other options on this list.

Whatever you choose, make sure it is something that adds only joy and cuteness to your day, instead of unwanted stress. You shouldn’t be pressured into incorporating all the kids in your family into your ceremony if it feels like too much. Likewise, you can’t force granny to be a flower girl if she doesn’t want to!

At the end of the day, it’s an exercise in compromise – not a bad lesson to learn at the beginning of a marriage.

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Photo by Marta Muñoz on Unsplash