Lush, extravagant Peonies are a beloved vintage garden classic, adored throughout the world for their beautiful early summer blossoms. They are the perfect choice for your wedding florals if you are looking for something romantic, gorgeous and unforgettable. Not only are they super lush and pretty but they also have a delicate sweet scent. Peonies add so much charm to a bountiful bridal bouquet:

Peonies come in a lovely variety of colors. The traditional tints of garden peonies include delicate white, and the sweetest shades of pale pinks:

The layers of petals are so fluffy and amazing:

Tree and hybrid peonies expand the color palette to offer shades of coral, rose, red deep purple, mahogany, and bright yellow. So no matter your color story, peonies can pretty much compliment your wedding vibe.

Sunny yellow peonies are so bright and cheerful:

Peonies also make fabulous boutonnieres. We love the muted mauve of this one:

Peonies work well with any color tux from black to navy to grey:

Peonies are also the perfect flower to consider for your centerpieces since they are long-lasting, and so so pretty!!!!

Peonies add a brilliant finishing touch to wedding cakes, too, like these fuschia and pink beauties:

If you don’t want to use real flowers on your cake, you can have peonies recreated in sugar. Look at the amazing craftsmanship of Leslea Matsis’ peonies! Her meticulous attention to detail and flair for sugar flowers is absolutely stunning:

You can also add more Peony flavor into your event by including the signature flower in your favors and for your wedding party gifts. Greenleaf Gifts has a whole line of peony-inspired offerings, like this home fragrance oil which has a subtle rosy scent:

Mrs. Meyer’s Peony products would be a nice addition to bridesmaids gift baskets:

Treat your guests to a Michel Design Works candle, like this one inspired by pink peonies, which will provide hours of delicate scent to their room while adding a touch of sublime beauty to their home decor. You can purchase this lovely selection from Barnes & Noble. Handmade from 100% soy wax, this candle is presented in a beautifully printed glass vase and housed in a gorgeous decorative box with a wooden pull:

If you decide to incorporate pretty Peonies into your wedding, we suggest planting some in your new yard too. A peony plant will bloom for a generation or more with little attention and will be a wonderful yearly reminder of your wedding day. They are dependable, incredibly long-lived plants and will provide lots of flowers for you to cut and decorate your home with. Check out House of Hawthornes’ handy guide on growing your own peonies:

Peonies

by Mary Oliver

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises, 
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open —
pools of lace, 
white and pink —
and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls, 
craving the sweet sap, 
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities —
and all day
under the shifty wind, 
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies, 
and tip their fragrance to the air, 
and rise, 
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness 
gladly and lightly, 
and there it is again — 
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open. 
Do you love this world? 
Do you cherish your humble and silky life? 
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden, 
and softly, 
and exclaiming of their dearness, 
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling, 
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?