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About The Pink Peony

The Pink Peony is owned and operated by Nicole Wright and her mother, Kelli. The shop is by appointment only and specializes in weddings, memorials, and large event florals. Nicole and Kelli are most influenced by the changing Wisconsin seasons and nature when designing their abundant and texture filled, garden style arrangements. They source only the finest American grown flowers and foliage available and incorporate locally grown and foraged blooms whenever possible. They do anything possible to make their business more nature friendly by composting only organic flowers and greenery, repurposing and reusing vintage vessels and materials and have eliminated toxic single use products many florists across the earth still use today.

New Book Released!!
Returning Home: Reconceptualzied Sympathy Flowers
Go to the Shop page and purchase today!!

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Create a magazine-worthy wedding or event.

Book a Complimentary Consultation

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

"Not only will the Pink Peony do the absolute BEST job with flowers that you could find, Nicole is so nice and easy to work with. She will for sure make your event as amazing as she did my wedding day."

— Katie A., Bride

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

"I have purchased flowers, corsages, boutineers, and balloon yard art from Pink Peony. The creativity, customer service, and product quality is outstanding. Thank you for such a special shop in our small town."

— Jodie W., Customer

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

My gosh! Great customer service! I live out of town, and researched local florists to send something special for a special friend’s birthday. What a sweet bouquet she created! Great work, great service!

— Jaime R., Customer

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

"I have purchased flowers, corsages, boutineers, and balloon yard art from Pink Peony. The creativity, customer service, and product quality is outstanding. Thank you for such a special shop in our small town."

— Jodie W., Customer

pink-peony-milwaukee-florist-Emerald-Tide-Photography-223.jpg

"If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?"
Luke 12:28

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Follow us on Instagram @thepinkpeonyllc &

Being a Wisconsin florist it is impossible for us to source local flowers in the winter. This time of year I do love to forage in my own yard and the yards of my family and friends for gorgeous evergreens. Thankfully, when it comes to fresh flowers, I have some amazing local wholesalers that know what I like and know to source only American grown flowers for me. A lot of our blooms this time of year are coming in from California and Florida farms.

When I sit down with a grieving family I encourage them to flip through my book Returning Home and uncover the floral pieces, color schemes, and design styles that best suit the funeral type (cremation, casket, military honors, etc.) in conjunction with the season (winter, spring, summer, or autumn) the departed returned home. I remind them to bare in mind the styles are interchangeable but the seasons can affect the availability of the flowers used. For instance: if a customer likes a style from the summer portion, but their loved one passed away in the winter, your florist can use the same color scheme and/or style but with American grown winter blooms.

Grieving Families - Let your florist design freely. Floral availability changes weekly, so trust that he or she will select only the finest blooms accessible. If you have trouble finding a style you like, or the flowers you had your heart set on are out of season, talk openly with your florist about what you or the departed wanted in their flowers. Your florist will be happy to find a solution. The idea is to keep things simple and sustainable, while still enjoying floral pieces that are thoughtfully reminiscent of your loved one.

Photos taken in WI & the UP ❄️

A winter tribute featured in our book Returning Home: Reconceptualized Sympathy Flowers.

This book was created to help return the floral and funeral industry home. Memorialize your loved ones, not materialistically, but beautifully and naturally simple.

Florists - escape commercialized floristry and return to the traditional way of constructing and sourcing flowers and foliage. 🤍

Go to our website to read more about Returning Home and use code WINTER20 to receive 20% off of your book today!

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Reminder - Flowers are grown on a farm. These flowers are tended to and cared for by the farmer and farm hands. They are then processed, packaged, and transported to flower wholesalers through various forms of transportation all over the earth. Wholesalers then need to process the flowers and harbour/care for them until a florist purchases the flowers. From there the flowers are delivered to a florist by the wholesalers delivery driver. Once the flowers finally get to the florist they are processed and cared for all before they are even designed in vessels...

Returning Home advocates repurposing materials and sourcing from local farms. Supporting local flower farmers and wholesalers who source from local flower farms will help cut some of the middle man cost. I hope everyone will remember all of these variables next time they are ordering flowers from their local florist.

Florists - check out @floweringminds.education She shares realistic floral pricing.

* Photos from the Autumn section of Returning Home. This arrangement is a mix of dried and fresh flowers and foliage.

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#nofloralfoam #greenfuneral #returninghomeflorist

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In Returning Home you'll find a Designer Reference Guide for the Returning Home Florist. In a portion of this section I share something I wish I would have known when opening my flower shop in 2013 at the age of 24 - You have a skilled craft and your time is the product, not the flowers. I spent many years people pleasing, taking precious time away from my family while working long hours, charging little for my time and not increasing flower cost enough for me to make a living wage. Thankfully I hit a point in my business where I made the necessary changes.

We florists need to stop undercutting ourselves. Florists need to be able to make a living wage commensurate with the rising costs of flowers, materials, and operational expenses. It is our obligation to work together to ensure the longevity of the floral industry for those of us who have made it our career. Be sure to factor in the amount you'd like to make per stem. Don't forget about all of your overhead; rent, cooler cost and upkeep, utilities, supplies, products, insurance, delivery vehicle, employees, accountant, the list goes on. On top of all of that, you must charge for your time. Again, you have a skilled craft and your time is the product, not the flowers. Time spent processing flowers, cleaning buckets, and designing. You must thoughtfully price out arrangements to succeed in this industry.

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#nofloralfoam #greenfuneral #returninghomeflorist

To all veterans, thank you for your service. 🇺🇲

A note from the book about my grandmother's passing:

In April 2020 my grandmother passed away. (Above is a photo of her that I displayed in the Tropical floral section of the book.) She was suffering from dementia and had been in a senior care home for a few months. Sadly, we were unable to visit her near the end due to unfortunate regulations. My grandmother, again suffering from dementia, would question why family was no longer visiting, craving physical comfort in her last days. I believe a loving family and community are one of life's greatest blessings. When loved ones are removed from you in a physical form, not being able to touch or hold each other, share a smile or look into each others eyes, your spirit just can't bare it. Without that physical comfort I believe she decided to return home.

Following her passing, our family held an intimate gathering at a local funeral home. My grandmother had a special place in her heart for Hawaii, so gorgeous Hawaiian grown flowers and foliage were delivered in from a small family farm in Hana, Maui. I designed a lei of cymbidium orchids for her to wear and a sheath bouquet to rest atop her casket. Family gathered around and enjoyed a slideshow of fond memories. Our simple family service and a delicate display of blooms from her favorite place on Earth was perfect.

This intimate family funeral reminded me that we didn't need to have a showy, commercialized service with large overdone floral displays to celebrate the life of our loved one, but a simple family oriented service. A service full of laughter and tears over the wonderful times shared, carrying on about where she is now, and a thoughtful representation of flowers was all we needed.

My grandmother's funeral was not the only intimate service I provided flowers for that year. Funeral arrangements, and every other occasion for that matter, became less grand and more thoughtful. Now, years later, this thoughtful simplicity is here to stay. The floral industry is returning home to organic garden style designs focusing on local and American grown flowers and foliage.

#returninghome
#sympathyflowers
#nofloralfoam

Why did you name the book Returning Home??

It took careful thought and deliberation when choosing the name. Just like when settling on a name for anything there are usually many layers as to why that name was chosen. Here is an excerpt from Returning Home on how I came to my decision:

Not only did I envision this book as florists artistically Returning Home to their innate and familial way of designing and sourcing, but also reminiscent of us all one day Returning Home in our spiritual body. Returning to the original purpose of mankind. Going back into the Father's house through the belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ (the restoration of the offspring of Adam into the family of God). I recalled a parable that Jesus tells of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24 KJV): A son asked his father for his inheritance, then squandered it through a life of indulgence. With nothing left, he was bound to work for a pig farmer and had such an intense hunger that he longed to eat the pigs' food. When he realized his fathers servants lived in better conditions, he decided to return home. Upon arrival, despite his older brothers disapproval, his father welcomed him with loving arms. Overwhelmed with the joy of his son's return, the father clothed him and held a feast in celebration. This parable has many many layers but is a glimpse of God welcoming us home when we are ready. "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." (Luke 15:24 KJV) In an earthly way I visualize this parable as florists escaping commercialized floristry and Returning Home to their traditional way of constructing and sourcing flowers and foliage.

I mailed out my first shipment of Returning Home this morning! I'm so excited to be sharing this hopeful industry shift with everyone. I encourage anyone who has ever grieved for a loved one and is in any facet of the funeral industry to jump on our website and purchase Returning Home.

#returninghome
#sympathyflowers
#nofloralfoam

Along with most other American florists, I am a culprit of using floral foam (a high risk plastic) in almost all of my early funeral work. In my early years of owning my brick and mortar flower shop business I was forced into making a change after developing a major skin sensitivity to handling floral foam and flowers covered in pesticides and fertilizers. My hands broke out in open splits and were covered in dry skin and red rashes for over a year. From the occasional accidental touch to my face I also broke out in dry, red rashy skin around my eyes. To this day, if I ever have to work with floral foam or chemical covered flowers, I have to use nitrile gloves (gardening gloves did not work). After dealing with this for far too long, I chose to no longer offer floral foam based arrangements in my everyday work and wedding work. Due to the complete absence of an alternative sympathy flower book, it was nearly impossible to sway any grieving family to a floral design without foam, without pictures to show them. Returning Home is a helpful solution to this major funeral industry problem that funeral directors and florists can turn to.

The above reel shows non-floral foam arrangement mechanics from Returning Home and a photo of a bucket of water littered with floral foam microplastics from my early shop days. This single use, non-recyclable, and non-compostable product is not something you want poured down the drain or anywhere in your environment. And, do we really need a block of toxic foam as the base of a floral tribute that specifically requires nature's beauty? I don't think so.. Returning Home has alternative arrangements which were created with only reusable items and dropbox donated vessels and materials while using organic flowers whenever possible. Trust me, it feels great to cut costs on a single use product in such a time as these!

For more info go give @nofloralfoam and @sustainablefloristry a follow!

#nofloralfoam

Our book Returning Home: Reconceptualized Sympathy Flowers is now available for purchase in paperback and "hardcover" on our website!! It will be available in eBook next week!! 🎉

I can't wait for you all to see it and begin designing your funeral floral displays with meaning and purpose!!

* A peek at the Autumn sympathy arrangements.

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Page 48 to 91 is the step by step guide for the florist. It is laid out in an easy floral recipe form including the exact number of flowers and foliage used in each piece, along with any dried flowers and foliage used, construction materials, dimensions, tips and tricks here and there, and even suggestions to offer grieving families along the way. Some arrangements will have extra pictures showcasing how the arrangement was internally constructed with only re-purposed/donated items.

I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like the natural, seasonal, garden style aesthetic over the outdated style that reminds grieving families of a sorrowful and uninspired funeral. Let's collectively help take these saddened families back to a time when our ancestors carried out a thoughtful and personal remembrance for their loved ones; a parlor room, a shaded area beneath a tree, or a bluff overlooking breathtaking scenery adorned with wildflowers and blooms from their gardens. A time when florals were arranged in vessels handed down from generation to generation.

I pray this book will serve us all by helping us get closer to removing the commercialism, toxic and outdated funeral style from our businesses and the Earth. I hope to help change the floral and funeral industry one funeral flower book at a time. I welcome everyone back to memorializing our loved ones, not materialistically, but beautifully and naturally simple. We are returning the floral industry home!

Your Returning Home florist,

Nicole 🤍

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The reconceptualized arrangements begin on page 8 with the winter section, leading to spring, late spring & early summer, late summer & early autumn, autumn, tropical, and patriotic. Every arrangement displayed in Returning Home was created by me during each corresponding season with local and American grown flowers and foliage. This was intended to show families an array of flowers and foliage available in the season of their beloved's passing. I encourage anyone who acquires this book to flip through and uncover the floral pieces, color schemes, and design styles that best suit the funeral type (cremation, casket, military honors, etc.) in conjunction with the season (winter, spring, summer, or autumn) the departed returned home. Bare in mind, the styles are interchangeable but the seasons can affect the availability of the flowers used. For instance: if a grieving family member likes a style from the winter portion, but their loved one passed away in the summer, their florist can use the same color and/or style but with local and American grown summer blooms. I encourage you, even if you are not someone grieving a loved one, to simply enjoy the blooms/arrangements in this section that we are graced with in each passing season.

Page 47 is the start of the designer reference guide for the Returning Home florist. This section expresses to the florist why it is important to withdraw from the uber-consumerism of the commercialized industry and return to repurposing vessels, supplies, etc. and design from their hearts. It encourages florists to remove themselves from the ubiquitous and financially predatory online services that promote unnatural and outdated arrangements. I explain how to hearten grieving families to utilize this book and encourage all florists to stop undercutting themselves when pricing out arrangements. Florists, you have a skilled craft, your time is the product, not the flowers!!

Finished in next post...

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In the opening of my book Returning Home, you will find a welcoming page describing its contents including why I developed a passion for creating this book, who it is for (which is anyone who has ever grieved for a loved one and/or works in any facet of the funeral industry), and why I chose Returning Home as the title.

The preceding page is a note to grieving families. This page expresses why this book is so important to utilize when choosing floral pieces for a memorial and how grieving families can keep things simple and sustainable, while still enjoying floral pieces that are thoughtfully reminiscent of their loved one. It gives ideas on ways to maximize the purpose of the arrangements and how to re-purpose the materials and vessels after the service. The closing of this section includes a personal funeral experience that helped to shape my convictions regarding funerals and funeral flowers, along with a prayer/encouragement for anyone who has struggled through the loss of a loved one.

The following page is a note to funeral directors and home funeral guides. This section explains why the book is so important to incorporate in funeral homes across the Earth and why every funeral home should have this book on hand for grieving families to browse. It expresses to the non-floral portion of the funeral industry why they are so crucial in assisting florists in sourcing from farms in the local area, state, or country and that they are helping florists design in the intended way that has been lost in the funeral flower industry for nearly a century. Lastly, explaining to them how their continued use of Returning Home will improve the way future grieving families will envision funerals.

See next post... 🤍

Hey!!

I have been working on a project for quite some time and I'm excited that it has finally come to fruition!! On October 5th (which is also The Pink Peony's 11th anniversary) I will be releasing my book Returning Home: Reconceptualized Sympathy Flowers. This book was created to help florists return to their traditional way of constructing and sourcing flowers and foliage specifically in the funeral flower industry. It is intended to replace outdated funeral flower displays reminiscent of Victorian era meets 1950's style stagnant and unattractive arrangements that we have all grown to associate with a sorrowful funeral service.

In the wake of a year where our business, along with most other businesses, experienced a great deal of changes, I was able to step back and realize I had an opportunity to make the necessary adjustments within the funeral floral industry. Through this quieter time, funeral services reverted to being intimate and family focused. Floral displays were delicate and thoughtful. The realization of materialism and toxicity within the industry was more visible than ever. I recognized that we florists, funeral directors, home funeral guides, and grieving families collectively need to band together to alter this cycle of outdated funeral arrangement styles and practices. I experienced God nudge after God nudge to create this book with hopes that it would help change the way we envision funeral flower arrangements. A couple years of squeezing in seasonal photo shoots between being a mother, wife, and flower shop owner and operator, this book was completed. Each arrangement was designed by me with local and American grown flowers and foliage, all vessels used were repurposed, and all materials used were drop-box donated. :)

I invite you to use this book for everything that it is; assistance for funeral directors and home funeral guides, encouragement and support for grieving families, florist support, a lookbook, and a proponent of minimalism and supporting local.

Your Returning Home florist,

Nicole

Hey everyone!!

I'm so happy you're here prior to the release of my book Returning Home: Reconceptualized Sympathy Flowers!! The book will be available for purchase in hardcover, paperback, and/or ebook via my website (link in bio) on October 5th!!

📹 taken after finishing up the floral pieces designed for the late summer & early autumn section of the book. Caught a little snippet of a @blurrycreatures episode blaring in the background. It fits the floral vibes perfectly✌🏻

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@returninghomefloral

About The Pink Peony

New Book Released!! Returning Home: Reconceptualzied Sympathy Flowers Go to the Shop page and purchase today!!

Create a magazine-worthy wedding or event.

"Not only will the Pink Peony do the absolute BEST job with flowers that you could find, Nicole is so nice and easy to work with. She will for sure make your event as amazing as she did my wedding day."

"I have purchased flowers, corsages, boutineers, and balloon yard art from Pink Peony. The creativity, customer service, and product quality is outstanding. Thank you for such a special shop in our small town."

My gosh! Great customer service! I live out of town, and researched local florists to send something special for a special friend’s birthday. What a sweet bouquet she created! Great work, great service!

"I have purchased flowers, corsages, boutineers, and balloon yard art from Pink Peony. The creativity, customer service, and product quality is outstanding. Thank you for such a special shop in our small town."

"If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?" Luke 12:28

Contact Us

Follow us on Instagram @thepinkpeonyllc &

​

Follow us on Instagram

New Book Released!!
Returning Home: Reconceptualzied Sympathy Flowers
Go to the Shop page and purchase today!!

"If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?"
Luke 12:28