Spotlight flower - the Peony

Resplendent with its gorgeous ruffles and large statement-making size, the peony is an easy contender for one of our all-time favourite flowers. On many a bride's must-have list, it makes an absolutely beautiful addition to a bouquet or large-scale floral installation. Romantic and often sweetly fragranced, the peony has come to symbolise prosperity, love and good luck, especially in Chinese culture where the name itself translates to 'Mǔ dān' which means 'the most beautiful'.

However, the peony can also be an absolute diva, arriving in small, tight buds complete with sticky residue and tiny resident insects, before blossoming quickly and then dramatically falling apart. If you don't get the timing right for your wedding or event, you're in trouble! The bloom season for these flowers is also quite short, falling for just a few weeks between May and June, so if you want to use these for your wedding you will need to keep that in mind.

Peonies come in a range of colours complete with quirky names, from the classic white frilliness of Duchesse de Numours and the soft pastel pink of the Sarah Bernhardt, to the vivid colours of Coral Charm and the hot reddish-pink Buckeye Belle, with many more colour varieties in between. These bright, blousy flowers make great focal flowers, as you can see in the bouquet here!

Equally, white peonies are perfect for bridal bouquets and floral wedding installations. Paired with other focal flowers like roses, zinnias or dahlias, they help to create that sumptuous look of volume and glamour, making your wedding decor look more expensive than it actually is! In fact, peonies are rather affordable as a focal flower when they're in their peak season, packing as much impact as the traditionally more expensive rose, so they're a great choice for any early summer wedding. If you would like to find out more about featuring peonies in your wedding flowers, please get in touch!