Flower Girl Dress Sizing and Timing: How Far Ahead Should You Order?
Order a flower girl dress 8-10 weeks before the wedding, and take the measurements as late as you can within that window.
That is the whole problem in one sentence: a made-to-order dress needs lead time, but a child measured too early will have grown by the day itself. The answer is to order early enough for production and measure late enough to be accurate.
Here is how to size a growing child, how much room to allow, and what to do if she grows anyway.
Key Takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When to order | 8-10 weeks before the wedding |
| When to measure | Immediately before ordering, not months earlier |
| Which size | By measurement, never by age label |
| If between sizes | Size up and have the hem shortened locally |
The rule worth remembering: measure twice on two different days, order to the larger figure, and keep 2 weeks free before the wedding for a local alteration. Hems come up easily; shoulders do not.
When Should You Actually Order?
Two deadlines pull in opposite directions, and most sizing problems come from resolving them in the wrong order.
The two competing deadlines
Production needs time, so ordering late is risky. Children grow, so measuring early is risky. You cannot eliminate either, but you can sequence them so they overlap as little as possible.
The recommended window
Eight to ten weeks before the wedding is the practical sweet spot. That covers tailoring and shipping with enough margin left for one local alteration if the fit needs a final adjustment.
When to take the measurements
Measure the same week you order, not when you first start looking. A set of measurements taken three months before the wedding describes a child who will not exist on the day.
What changes with age
Younger children change faster in proportion as well as size. For a toddler, allow more margin and prefer adjustable styles; for a nine or ten year old, growth over two months is usually modest.
How Do You Choose a Size for a Growing Child?
Children's sizing is less standardised than adult sizing, and age labels are the least reliable part of it.
Measure, do not guess from age
Two six-year-olds can differ by several inches in both chest and height. The WHO child growth standards exist precisely because normal growth covers a wide range at any given age — which is why an age label on a dress cannot describe a specific child.
How much growth to allow
Over an eight to ten week window, allow a small margin rather than a generous one. Ordering two sizes up produces a dress that is wrong on the day in a way no alteration fixes neatly.
Which measurement matters most
Chest first, then shoulder-to-hem length, then waist. Chest and shoulders determine whether the dress can be worn at all; length is the part a local tailor can adjust in an afternoon.
How to actually take the measurements
Measure over a thin t-shirt rather than bare skin or a jumper, with her standing straight and arms down. A bulky layer adds an inch that then shows up as a loose bodice.
Take the chest around the fullest part under the arms, the waist at the natural waist rather than at the hips, and the length from the shoulder seam down to where you want the hem to sit.
Keep the tape snug but not tight, and write the numbers down immediately. Doing it twice on separate days catches the reading where she leaned, wriggled or held her breath.
When to size up
Size up when she falls between sizes, when the wedding is at the far end of your window, or when she has recently had a growth spurt. Then plan on shortening the hem.
What If She Grows Between Ordering and the Wedding?
Sometimes she will, and it is worth choosing a style that copes rather than assuming she will not.
Styles that tolerate growth
A-line and ball gown shapes with a tie sash absorb change far better than a fitted bodice with a fixed waistband. The sash adjusts; a sewn-in waist does not.
What a local tailor can fix quickly
Hem length, sash placement and minor waist adjustments are all straightforward. These are the changes worth planning for, and they are why the 2-week buffer matters.
What cannot be fixed
Shoulder width and chest circumference. If the bodice does not fit across the shoulders, there is no practical alteration — which is why those are the measurements to be most careful with.
The realistic backup plan
If the wedding is more than three months out and she is growing quickly, order later rather than bigger. A dress ordered at eight weeks to accurate measurements beats one ordered at five months to guessed ones.
Set a calendar reminder for the ten-week mark instead of ordering the moment you find a dress you like. The style will still be there; her current measurements will not.
And if she is very young or growing unusually fast, remeasure once about two weeks before the wedding. Knowing early that the hem needs taking up leaves time to book the tailor rather than discovering it the night before.
The Dreamyannie Difference: Made to Order, and What That Means Here
Every dress is made after the order is placed rather than picked from stock. For adult guests that mainly means waiting; for a child it changes how you should plan.
Why the two deadlines conflict
Because there is no warehouse, the tailoring stage cannot be skipped, and because the dress is cut to your measurements, those measurements need to be current. Made-to-order gives you the fit and takes away the option of deciding at the last minute.
What that means for returns
A dress made correctly to the measurements submitted is not returnable for a change of fit, and that includes a child having grown. Returns cover quality problems and items that do not match the order, within 14 days of delivery.
This is worth knowing before you order rather than after. It is also the strongest argument for measuring twice and ordering inside the 8-10 week window rather than far ahead.
What to check before ordering
Confirm the tailoring time on the specific product page, then add shipping — standard is 7-10 business days, expedited 5-7, free over $159. Flower girl styles here run from $49 to $159, so a second dress as backup is a real option if the timing is genuinely tight.
Shop the Look
Styles that adapt as she grows
Ivory Tulle Satin A-Line with Bowknot — a tie sash absorbs a few weeks of growth.
Ivory Tulle A-Line with Lace Appliques — an A-line skirt is the most forgiving shape.
Long Sleeves A-Line with Bowknot — sleeves plus a tie waist for an autumn or winter wedding.
Pink Ball Gown with 3D Flowers — a full skirt hides a hem adjustment completely.
Tulle Appliques Long Sleeves A-Line — long sleeves give more coverage as seasons change.
Ivory Long Sleeves with Bowknot — combines the sash and the sleeve, the two most useful features.
White Spaghetti Straps Tulle Dress — check strap length carefully, since straps cannot be lengthened.
The whole flower girl dress collection is compact enough to compare in a single sitting, which makes checking sashes and sleeve types straightforward.
For older children in the party, the bridesmaid collection covers junior sizing, and the adults attending will find the wedding guest collection more relevant.
Once the size is settled, which construction details keep her comfortable matters more than anything else on the day — lining and waistbands do more than size alone.
For the adults, how tailoring and shipping add up uses the same timeline logic, and the dress code guide settles what the grown-ups should wear.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I order a flower girl dress?
Order 8-10 weeks before the wedding, which covers tailoring, shipping and a local alteration. Ordering much earlier means measuring a child who will have grown by the wedding day.
What size flower girl dress should I order?
Order by measurement rather than by age label, since two children of the same age can differ by several inches. Chest and shoulder width matter most, because those are the measurements a tailor cannot easily change.
Should I size up in case she grows?
Size up by one when she is between sizes or the wedding is at the far end of your window, then plan to shorten the hem. Going two sizes up creates a fit problem that no alteration solves neatly.
What if she grows after I order?
Choose an A-line or ball gown with a tie sash, since both absorb change far better than a fixed waistband. Hems, sashes and small waist adjustments are quick local fixes; shoulders and chest are not.
Can I return a flower girl dress if it no longer fits?
No, because each dress is made to order against the measurements submitted, so growth is not a covered reason. Returns apply within 14 days for quality problems or for items that do not match what was ordered.
Where can I find flower girl dresses that allow for growth?
Look for a tie sash rather than a fixed waistband, paired with an A-line or ball gown skirt. The flower girl collection shows both features clearly, and styles like the ivory tulle satin A-line with bowknot combine them.
About the Author
Annie is a bridal and formalwear writer at Dreamyannie, specialising in wedding guest dressing, dress codes and occasion wear across every season. Annie writes practical shopping guides that help readers balance style, fit, budget and event-readiness, with a particular focus on how silhouette, fabric, customisation and measurements change the way a dress looks in real life rather than in a product photo.