History of the flower girl?

As a girl I was a flower girl twice, and this past month my boyfriend's adopted 5 year old sister was a flower girl in our friend's wedding. We got to talking about why weddings have flower girls and what there purpose is. We could not reach a conclusion, so I tried searching online, but the only real info I could find was that the flowergirl has to be a virgin and represents youth. But I feel there has to be more info and history out there than that?



Thanks!

History of the flower girl?
The idea of a flower girl came in the middle ages, when washing frequently was not too popular. The ladies often wore the same clothes day in and day out. They sometimes bathed once or twice a year. There were no such things a deoderants or antipersperants..so they tended to smell. So at a wedding, the flower girl would go ahead of the bride, cast fragrant petals on the ground to impove the air quality...and the bride would carry fragrant flowers and make it even better yet... so....you wanted to know....
Reply:this might help a little
Reply:Flower girls in weddings dates back to Greek and Roman matrimonial ceremonies where children scattered herbs and grains which were symbolic of fertility in the bride's path.
Reply:The only thing I could find was about how the bride's path through life would be happy and laden with flowers.
Reply:maybe there is no history, ppl just think its cute seeing a cute little girl walking down throwing flowers