Florals are easily one of the most important decorating elements of an event. Beautiful, color-coordinated flowers can make all the difference in the party details, but they can also come at a high cost. Recently, larger-than-life paper flowers have been popping up at events everywhere, including our November cover story celebration. The giant florals make a big impact, adding a whimsical element to celebrations of all sizes.

For the party at the center of our November cover story, a·peony owner Alexia Pierre, brought her giant flowers to complete the scene. The handmade creations were each created by Pierre herself in an attempt to bring to life the visions that had been dancing around in her head.

“I could never quite find what I was looking for,” Pierre says, noting that she never considered herself a crafty DIY person. “I was tired of being let down, and now, being able to bring my visions to life is so fulfilling!”

Her blooming business, a·peony, is seemingly just the beginning, offering just a small glimpse of the boundless creativity that Pierre possesses. With her many ideas, she’s hopeful that the company will be a stepping stone.

“Starting a·peony was a leap of faith for me, but I was ready for a change, so I began on maternity leave with little money, an order of cheap paper from Amazon, and basically whatever I had in my apartment,” she says. “So I took a chance, photographed the flowers in my apartment, and sent out emails to a compiled list of party planners about my new small business.”

The response was overwhelming, and Pierre says the endeavor took on a life of its own quite quickly, far exceeding her expectations.

“To my surprise, creating the flowers was actually the easy part,” Pierre says. And once she started, she didn’t want to stop.

“I could even create one just by looking at a picture,” she explains, saying how cutting the paper is the most time-consuming, along with dyeing the paper and waiting for it to dry. “The rest is pretty simple–and I would even say it’s therapeutic.”

Unlike typical flowers, Pierre’s blooming paper creations are long-lasting and make an impact in a way that traditional flowers cannot.

“In addition to your parties, weddings, showers and mini photo sessions, set up on or two at the next real estate open house, in a window display at a boutique or around the store, as props in a school play or local theater,” she notes. “Use them in your product photography shoot or to refresh your classroom or OBGYN or pediatrics waiting room.”

As her business continues to grow, Pierre is excited to showcase the many possibilities for her handcrafted florals and work with people throughout Louisiana to bring their larger-than-life dreams to reality.

Keep up with the blooming business by following a·peony on Instagram.