My Unrequited Love Affair

I just learned that I have a serious thing for ruffly, girly flowers called (you guessed it) peonies. I started sending my florist images of my bouquet inspiration. Beautiful, overflowing, loose, garden-y bouquets full of, yup, peonies. It was then I found out that peonies just weren't interested in loving me back. 

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I'm an October bride and apparently, peonies have a very strict schedule--about a five-week window that exists a solid four months before my wedding. The closest I'm going to get? The ever-expensive and elusive garden rose. Luckily, I have a very talented florist, Erin Hornstein from Plum Sage Flowers, to recreate the just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-perfectly-designed loose, ruffly look I'm going for. And, in fact, she got married at Devil's Thumb Ranch recently with a gorgeous yellow blooming umbrella. 

So, I've been hunting for bouquets that don't involve peonies. But rather garden roses, regular roses, hydrangea, dahlias, and any other flower that has a smidgen of a chance of poking its head up around the first week of October. My options are also limited because I'm looking for flowers with color--I'm afraid that too ivory will vanish into my dress and stark white just won't match. 

Here are a few images of my (new) inspiration. Please excuse me if I happen to include a few peonies in there--their beauty is blinding me. 

Bouquet 1

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Bouquet 2

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Bouquet 3

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Bouquet 4

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Bouquet 5

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Bouquet 6

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Bouquet 7

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Which bouquet is your favorite of the bunch? After you tell me, I'll fill you in on which is my fave and which won the vote.