Flower Girl Dresses Fit for the Royal Wedding

Embroidered ivory taffeta or a multi-tiered skirt? Flower trim or maybe a brilliant bow? Layers and layers of tulle -- perfect for dancing and spinning -- or romantic vintage-inspired silk?

A dress for a royal wedding needs to be special –- and, true, all eyes will be on Kate Middleton as she exchanges vows with Prince William at Westminster Abbey next spring -- but her flower girls won't be ignored.

Of course, we'd be surprised if the royal flower girls weren't swathed in couture – British bridal fave Phillipa Lepley (who odds-makers like as getting the coveted design-nod to create Middleton's dress) is known for making stunning mini-versions of her bridal gowns, which reportedly start at around $7,800.

No doubt, the bride's gown will be pricey, but, in this economy, it's still possible to go extravagant and buy off-the-rack -- especially when it comes to the littlest attendants.

In anticipation of the event, sure to capture the attention of Britain and the world, we've done a little sleuthing to find five flower girl dresses that could be contenders for the pint-size, petal-tossing princesses in waiting. Let the fairy tale planning begin!

1. Joan Calabrese: The celebrated children's designer has brides-to-be (and mothers of the bride) oohing and aahing at her adorable flower girl dresses. This ivory sleeveless style features a jewel neckline, empire waist, flower-trimmed hem and a bow in back. Swoon. It's $281 at Neimanmarcus.com.

2. Little Elegantine: This British label's dresses can be custom-ordered to ensure the bride is getting exactly the flower girl dress she's dreamed about. But, for brides who need a little design help, here's a good place to start: The Isobel comes in gold embroidered taffeta and green plain taffeta and features a boat neckline, flounce sleeves and a big bow at the back. Can you say English Rose? About $310 at littleelegantine.com.

3. Crewcuts: We know, we know, it's highly unlikely the royals would opt for an American designer -– especially one as apple pie as J. Crew -– but, come on, already: Tell us you're not dying over this silk organdy dress. In "heirloom pink" it has that old, elegant European feel and its vintage-inspired design gets the royal treatment with a sweet little ruffle detail at the shoulder and a shirred bubble skirt. It's $198 at jcrew.com.


4. Harrods: A British wedding? A shopping trip to Harrods is a must. While there, you'll find this velvet dress, designed with a princess-perfect netted skirt, floral belt and classic round-neck with a dolly collar. About $395 at Harrods.com.

5. Tara Lee: British retailer Tara Lee designs beautiful party clothes for kids, and we would love to see Middleton choose something a little fashion forward for her flower girls, like this ivory dress that comes with a bodice done in black duchess satin. A row of tiny little rose buds attached to a narrow satin ribbon leads into three layers of tulle. Just perfect for dancing. And only $98 at taralee.co.uk.