Sound the trumpets! Peonies are out of season and we couldn’t be more excited.
Yes, Peonies are beautiful flowers. And yes, Peonies look very romantic at a wedding to fit with traditional wedding design.
But boys and girls, Love Made Me Weddings is here to tell you that it’s time to celebrate the annual disappearance of these flowers.
Each year, you will hear brides despairing when their florist breaks the news that for their summer wedding Peonies will no longer be in season.
And, for some bizarre reason, like Cristiano Ronaldo won’t switch to playing cricket in the summer, a lot of brides won’t happily accept the beautiful alternatives that their talented florists have to offer. They remain disappointed and stroppy about the absence of those uninspired Peonies in their bouquets.
Our main reason to celebrate saying goodbye to Peonies?
Each flower has a meaning and this idea of sending a message in a bouquet by the choice of flower dates back to 1819 when the first western language of flowers dictionary was written by Charlotte de Latour - “Le Langue des Fleurs”. The Victorians loved these flower dictionaries that started to pop-up on all parlour tables and the romantic ladies loved to talk about nothing else more.
For example, the meaning of an Orchid is ‘refined beauty’, Mistletoe aptly carries the meaning ‘I surmount all obstacles’ and a Daffodil, ‘new beginnings’.
Your beloved Peonies? They have the Victorian flower meaning of ‘Anger’ !
No one wants anger on their wedding day! (Let the anger brew naturally when Phil misbehaves on the dancefloor with the groom’s younger sister - don’t let the beautiful flowers add to the fury!
If you like the idea of incorporating meaning into your bouquet a few nice alternatives you could try:
Stock - you will always be beautiful to me
Crocus - youthful gladness
Ranunculus - you are radiant with charms
Everlasting pea - lasting pleasure
Ivy - fidelity
Baby’s Breath - everlasting love
Alternatively, if the meaning thing isn’t your vibe but you would like some alternatives to the traditional peony/rose/baby’s breath arrangements, there are other ways you could bring interest, colour and beauty to the day.
Have a look at the ideas below and click on the photos to visit these skilled suppliers’ pages for more ingenuity. A real showcase from both our lovely local London florists and from further afield:
To finish, let’s take inspiration from Australian beauty Miranda Kerr when she says:
“I want to encourage women to embrace their own uniqueness. Because just like a rose is beautiful, so is a sunflower, so is a peony. I mean, all flowers are beautiful in their own way, and that's like women too.” (side note: gentlemen, you are beautiful too, and don’t you forget that xoxo)
-… remember that you have the power to bring beauty to your wedding day - use all there is out there - not just those angry Peonies please!
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to start planning that inspired day with Love Made Me Weddings. Let’s get some amazing flowers or décor ideas going for your big day together!
We will assist you from start to finish to create a day where you can celebrate the love you have with your partner, family and friends, the way you would like to celebrate it!