Children at a wedding are noticed more than the adult guests. They enter first, stand at the altar, and end up in half the photographs. Dressing them well doesn't mean dressing them alike: it means making them look like part of the same scene.
Start with the color, not the garments
The starting point is the couple's palette. Ask the bride for two pieces of information: the color of the flowers and the color of the adult bridesmaids' dresses, if there are any. From there, choose a family of shades and stick to it.
The combinations that almost always work:
- Ivory and sage green: spring and outdoor weddings.
- White, cream, and powder pink: classic, suitable for any season.
- Beige, sand, and navy blue: autumn weddings, and it looks good on older children who don't want to look "dressed like children".
- Burgundy and velvet: only for the colder months, and preferably on a single garment, not the entire outfit.
The matching rule: same colors, different garments
Three little girls with the exact same dress in three different sizes look like a uniform. Three little girls in the same ivory, one with a tulle dress, one with a piqué dress, and one with a skirt and bolero, look like a group.
The same goes for a brother and sister: the page boy's outfit takes up the color of the headband or bow on the bridesmaid's dress, and that's enough. It is the principle on which we built our selection of matching brother and sister outfits.
The page boy
For boys, the classic outfit is trousers, shirt, vest, and bow tie or suspenders. The jacket is optional and, in summer weddings, often counterproductive: after half an hour they will take it off anyway.
Some practical tips:
- Under three years old, it's better to go with the short outfit with knee-high socks: long trousers on a crawling or running child won't last long.
- From six years old and up, ask the child if they want a bow tie or suspenders. If you give them a choice, they will keep it on all day.
- White shirts get dirty. A spare shirt in the car is worth more than any style advice.
The bridesmaid
For little girls, comfort is especially important: scratchy tulle, stiff seams, and slipping necklines turn into tantrums halfway through the ceremony. Check the undergarment: if it's cotton and not mesh, the dress can be worn for hours.
The accessories that complete the outfit are few: a headband or hairband in the dress's tones, white or opaque socks depending on the season, and a closed-toe shoe. The rest is superfluous.
The shoes
This is the item most often gotten wrong. New shoes, bought the day before, will hurt after an hour. Buy them at least two weeks before and have them wear them around the house a couple of times. For outdoor weddings, avoid low heels and smooth soles: grass and gravel are unforgiving.
Timing: when to buy
Children's formal wear should be bought two or three months in advance, because the best sizes sell out quickly and the styles are updated each season. But be careful on the other side: in two or three months, a child grows.
How we do it: choose the style in advance, take the size for the height they will have at the wedding, and if needed, make a small adjustment to the hem in the weeks before. The measurements in centimeters for every age are in the size guide.
Who pays for the outfits
There is no fixed rule, but the most common custom in Italy is for the couple to cover the cost of the bridesmaids' and page boys' outfits, especially when they ask for a specific color. If, instead, the choice is free, the children's parents usually provide them. It's better to clarify this before going shopping.
Where to look
You will find our selection for ceremonies divided by little girl and little boy, with matching accessories.
If the couple has given you a specific color and you don't know where to start, write to us on WhatsApp: send us a photo of the flowers or the adult bridesmaids' dresses and we will propose the combinations to you. In our store in Licata, the garments can be tried on.
