A wedding theme that is gaining popularity (but slowly enough to remain unique at this point) is the use of peacock feathers and coordinating colors for décor and wedding-party apparel.
There is scarcely anything more flamboyantly elegant than the male peacock in full display, and this extravagant beauty has long kept them from having to sing for their supper, as first royalty and later the wealthy aristocracy have given them the run of the grounds at their palaces and estates.
The peacock originated in wooded areas in India and into Southeast Asia, where it was valued not only for it’s beauty, but for providing the service of dining on poisonous baby cobras. Its visual magnificence quickly promoted it to the stuff of royalty, and its cultivation spread to other regions (some sources say as diplomatic gifts to encourage favorable trade relations); in ancient Egypt, only sons of Pharoahs were allowed to carry the long-handled fans of peacock feathers with which to ceremonially fan the Pharoah in processions. The exotic bird was welcomed into Greece, the Arab world and the Mediterranean, and somewhat later and less frequently (it is a warm-weather bird) north into Europe. Its feathers became much-used for ornamentation and often for fans. Even on fans of paper or silk, a painting of a peacock is a classic theme, and the peacock design has long been a popular design in jewelry. Despite millennia of being highly regarded, because of the ostentatiousness of its display, the peacock did endure some disdain from the 19th-century to the early years of the 20th, when a person with a tendency to overdress or who was perceived as vain or self-important, might earn the derisive jab of “proud as a peacock!”
Whether or not it can be argued that the peacock has been endowed with too much beauty, the distinctive pattern and luminous colors of its plumage are a “natural” (pun happily intended) to serve as the basis of décor for a unique and memorable wedding.
First, consider the vibrant palette of colors suggested by the peacock feather itself: royal, lapis, or midnight blue; turquoise; teal; emerald green; apple green; metallic bronzes and golds; for autumn, even a shimmery brown satin. Rich fabrics–tone-on-tone brocades, satins, taffeta, velvets. All are beautifully suitable for bridesmaids’ gowns, and perhaps each maid could work the “eye” of a peacock feather into her hair, whether styled "up" or worn down.
Bright, dark blues are popular this year for brides who don’t want to jump on the popular “citrus colors” or “pastels” wagons–and the peacock theme is a fabulous way to snap blue from elegant to exotic.
For dining tables, consider colored table-toppers or runners in mix-and-match lapis blue, emerald green, gold, and teal (also–many fabric stores carry Indian sari fabrics, which would be lovely, as well), allowing your white or ivory “base” tablecloths to still show underneath, so that the eye isn’t too over-saturated with the deep colors. You can make OR rent runners and table-toppers; and rent colored napkins in multiples of 8 (or whatever the number you are seating at each table) in at least two of the coordinating colors, so that the napkins contrast with the topper or runner on the table (such as teal napkins for a table with a dark-blue topper, dark green napkins with a gold or teal runner, etc.) Beading in a golden tone, for napkin rings, coasters, trim on votive holders, or a decadently lush beaded tassle for your special bottle of champagne, etc., accessorizes it all outstandingly and brings a bit of sparkle into the mix. (For beaded goods, I recommend www.alwayselegant.com .)
For centerpieces, brass pieces in a Moroccan or Indian style (they don’t have to match) would hold an arrangement of white florals (white or ivory keeps it bridal-looking, and is a good foil to the darker tones) with several “eye” tips of peacock feathers showing among the blooms, the arrangement being about 9” in diameter, with 3 to 5 votives in clear holders surrounding the arrangements–at enough distance that their rising heat won’t wilt the flowers. Silk or fresh flowers will work equally well.
Or perhaps a beautiful peacock candle (see http://www.amazon.com/The-Knick-Knack-Shelf-38545/dp/B0017DLF58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1244660630&sr=8-1) on a spray-painted gold salad-sized plate, with a generous scattering of colored jewels at its base (check this e-bay seller: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/lingsupplies__W0QQ_armrsZ1 who carries golden, sapphire blue, teal and emerald “gems” for scattering), again with 3 or 5 votives in clear glass containers twinkling around edges of the plate. SAFETY NOTE: set a time, no more than 3 hours from when the centerpiece candles will be lit, and designate a reliable bridesmaid or two to go around to the tables at that time, blowing out the peacock candles, setting a tealight in its container gently into the indentation, and re-lighting it–this will only take a few minutes, and will prevent the peacock candles from possible burn-through on the sides to avoid wax spillage, flammability, and to allow you to continue to enjoy the candles after the wedding by simply replacing the tealights.
Another “take” on this same centerpiece would be to arrange the tops (with “eye” potion) of 3 peacock feathers in a “clover” fashion, then cover with an inverted clear-glass dinner plate (available at K-mart, 12 for $17–or online, http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_9990000019894011P?vName=For%20the%20Home&cName=Dinnerware&sName=Everyday%20Dinnerware&psid=FROOGLE&sid=KDx20070926×00003a), then centering the peacock candle on the plate and again scattering around the base with “jewels” and placing small votives around the edges . I have purchased peacock feathers at http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Feather-Store__W0QQ_armrsZl –the larger the quantity purchased, the lower the per-piece price, and they are available in 12-inch up to 5-foot lengths.
Cobalt-blue vases might hold a simple arrangement of 5 taller peacock plumes, with or without floral accompaniment. This would be stunning on a gold table-topper or charger plate, or a sharp contrast to just a plain white or ivory tablecloth.
Sweetheart table: if you’re considering a sweetheart table–where the bride and groom sit together at a smaller table by themselves–instead of having a head-table arrangement–consider charger plates for the bride’s and groom’s plates. For this special table you may consider splurging on a pair of peacock napkin rings, as a pretty memento from their wedding dinner. I have seen them available in pairs at http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/1a/i11939.html . Because these are pewter, I’d recommend that chargers or beaded accessories for this one table be colored, NOT gold.
Everyone has seen the ostrich-plumed guestbook pen–why not step to the “50th anniversary” department and pick up a GOLD guest book, and change out its "ordinary" plume to a peacock-plumed pen?
Now, just as I’m enthusing about all things peacock, you want to be careful not to do too much. You want your striking, unifying color palette with accents of peacock feathers mixed in among the colors and textures, not going overboard. In the “what NOT to do” category: I’ve seen several people on bridal blogs asking if anybody knows where to rent live peacocks to stroll around at their weddings: don’t go there. Peacocks are not friendly, screech loudly (it’s been said that this was because, so reknowned for its beauty, a peacock one day looked down and beheld the ugliness of its scaly feet, hence its awful cry), and they leave trails of unique little “wedding favors” that your guests will not appreciate. And you’re not going to want to cause a rift with all the groom’s friends by suggesting the groomsmen wear peacock ties such as this fine example (http://www.amazon.com/Party-Decoration-Necktie-peacock-feathers/dp/B001GTRXI6/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1244666063&sr=8-31 )–although I can see a certain twisted humor in that.
Two or three very long peacock feathers would be simple and beautiful laid out along the banquet/buffet table among the serving dishes instead of a huge centerpiece, and if you do have large floral arrangements, possibly flanking the ceremony area, you might have the florist arrange to crown them with 3 taller peacock plumes high at the very back center.
Similarly, for your bouquet, you might have a simple nosegay of roses or other smallish flowers ringed with a border of peacock feather “eyes”, so that even if your flowers are bridal-white, the edge of the bouquet will still contrast with your gown. I suggest smaller flowers since large blooms such as lilies are focal points themselves, and will compete too much with the feathers for attention, making your bouquet seem too “busy.” The bridesmaids might have a single feather in the center of smaller nosegays. The groom might wear a single bloom backed by a feather “eye” for his boutonniere–or just the feather alone–while the rest of the men wear traditional white rosebud or carnation boutonnieres. I would check with the moms and grandmothers before adding a feather to their corsages, and leave the choice up to them.
Clearly there are as many ways to work the splendor of peacock plumage into a gorgeous wedding theme as the creativity will allow. Take these few suggestions and let your imagination run with them.
06.12.09
Source: Online sources on peacock origin and peacock fans
