Help! Junior Bride? 👀

What exactly is a junior bride? Is that the same as junior bridesmaid?

Seven is more of a flower girl age rather than a junior bridesmaid which is why it is weird. We had two flower girls - 5 and almost 8 and one ring bearer who was 3. The ring bearer's older brother (15) was the usher and helped the ring bearer walk down the aisle because he was shy.

What exactly do you need help with? Will your 7-year-old just walk in the processional or is there more to her role that you are envisioning?

I think it's fine as long as she wants to do this (isn't too shy, or whatever). I don't personally see the need for honorary roles for children in weddings, but it's certainly OK for you do have your own daughters wear and do whatever you want in your wedding.

I think people imagine a junior bridesmaid to be a teen. Someone not an adult but not necessarily a child ? Could you have two flower girls? They hold hands and walk together ? Could be very cute !!

I'm assuming you meant junior bride and not junior bridesmaid. People may find the idea of a junior bride uncomfortable because a wedding implies a certain type of relationship and having a young child designated as a junior bride can be interpreted in a way where the groom is marrying both mother and daughter. This can be taken as a sweet gesture, similar to a unity ceremony involving any existing children being brought into the mixed family. It can also be interpreted as an adult male marrying a child bride, which is where the weird or ick factor usually comes in. The issue is similar to that of purity balls.


If you did indeed mean junior bridesmaid, then as others have said, 7 is a bit on the young side. 7 year olds are usually still flower girls. But, if you want your daughter as a bridesmaid, there's nothing wrong with that. And if you want her as a junior bride, that's ok to (implying there is no child endangerment, which I'm assuming you did not mean). Just note that some people may have a negative reaction towards it (although people may have negative reactions towards many things).

View Quoted Comment That is a cute idea. 🤔 But I was referring to a junior / miniature bride. Not bridesmaid.

View Quoted Comment No. It’s a difference. Jr / miniature bride , in my point of view , is one that’s being married into the family. Sort of like a unity, as Hannah said below.

View Quoted Comment Thank you!! Once broken down that way, I can see where the weirdness come in at. That no way, in no form, crossed my mind. Yuck! It’s crazy that others think that way as well. I was thinking jr bride because we’re wanting to change her last name as well. I’m confused on what would be her role. Does she just walk down the aisle? 🤨🤦🏽‍♀️

View Quoted Comment I think that's up to you. You can always have her be a flower girl and then do a separate unity ceremony with all of you, like a sand ceremony. If you Google unity ceremonies with children, you can find a lot of different ideas.

What is the point of a junior bride?

View Quoted Comment

I've occasionally seen posts about couples' plans to have children in their wedding designated as a "junior bride" and "junior groom" -- often with attire to mimic the actual bride and groom's. The feedback to that is that there is potentially a VERY creepy element of suggesting marrying off young children.... I think this may be a tradition in some cultures, but in general north American culture, I think there is a perception of it as kind of perverted and suggestive of inappropriate relationships, given the children's young ages. Unless it is a significant part of your culture, I'd probably just have two flower girls. I completely understand that it can just be a semantic difference, but personally, I would avoid doing anything that is potentially seen as over-sexualizing a child. (I think FG dresses should look like a little girl's dress, not a miniature version of an adult's gown for the same reason, but that's a personal opinion.)

If you want to dress your daughter as your mini-me, go for it. She’s little enough that it’ll be cute but not so little she’ll be tripping over the dress. Just make sure her dress is age appropriate (as in if you have a low V neckline, make hers higher or a scoop neck). The only thing that may make it weird is if you have other girls in the bridal party. I’m just not sure how that would work. But I would not think creepy things if I saw a bride with her daughter dressed as a junior bride to match.