Why are peonies such a favorite for wedding bouquets? They are inspiring, no question at all. Their scent is amazing and the colors can be soft or vibrant depending on the variety you choose. The other redeeming feature is the mass of petals you typically see in peonies - most varieites have a high petal count . Making them lush, full, and and essentially exquisite beyond description. Let's take a look at not only when peony season arrives in western NY, but where you can find those beauties for your own event.
Peonies in western NY typically start blooming from Memorial Day weekend until the 2nd or 3rd week in June. Of course, mother nature has something to say about the exact time when peony season makes it debut and how long it lasts. If the month of May has been on the cool side, peony seaon will be on the late side. If May has been warm, well, keep an eye on those babies because they can come on in a hurry and you'll miss the window to harvest them if you are relying on your own garden to supply your wedding flowers.
That's a bit about when peony season occurs, but where do you find them? If you are doing your own wedding flowers, chances are, you have a neighbor, or a favorite aunt, that would let you raid their peony patch for some stems?! If the flowers are peaking a week or more before your big event, you have to know how you will hold them or carry them until you do the design work. This is where florists can help - we have coolers designed specifically for flowers. We can harvest at the end of May, and have them for your event several weeks later. If you are havesting your own and plan to keep in your own cooler, do not store them in the same cooler as food. The ethylene gases from certain fruits/veges will not be conduciive to keep the peonies at peak form.
What if you want peonies when they aren't in season? A florist can get them at other times of the year. But if they are shipping them in from Alaska in September/October, which is not typical peony season in the lower 50 states, you will be paying much more per stem!
Best wishes for a beautiful event, and I hope peony season coincides with your big day!