Peacock Themed Weddings

Sean McKillop and Annika Hoffman won't have a flower girl at their Aug. 3 wedding ceremony. Instead, they'll have a feather girl.

The couple is part of a growing trend that's taken flight in recent months: the peacock-themed wedding. With its rich color palette, the theme presents endless possibilities for brides and grooms seeking a unique twist on their nuptials.

“Our boutonnieres, centerpieces and bouquets are all feathers,” says McKillop, who lives in Lewisburg, W.Va., but still has family in the Pittsburgh area.

Katherine Elise Shaw, owner of the full-service event-planning company Trends To Traditions in Cranberry, has watched the trend gain popularity. Her company can provide just about anything with a peacock theme, from invitations to menu, table, escort and save-the-date cards. They've created card boxes using peacock feathers, cocktail napkins, party favors, even ice sculptures.

“Peacock themes are fabulous because they lend themselves to so many colors, options and fun,” Shaw says.

The theme was a natural choice for Hoffman, who works as a veterinarian for Aviagen Turkeys.

“I actually know feather dealers!” Hoffman says with a laugh.

One of Shaw's clients, Brienne Michaels, living in Fort Myers, Fla., even incorporated the theme into her gown for her 2011 wedding to husband, Greg, in Foxburg, Clarion County. The flowing dress gathered in an elegant, almost floral-like pattern to create a look alluding to a peacock's long tail.

Michaels has loved peacocks since her time as a student at Columbia University. She would often see a group of peacocks roaming the grounds of nearby St. John the Divine.

“A friend told me that in India, peacocks mean joy and happiness,” she says.

For Michaels, that made a fitting marriage theme. She incorporated peacock elements onto everything from her clutch to her cake to the peacock-shaped hand soaps she gave as favors.

“As soon as you start thinking ‘peacock,' you see peacock stuff everywhere,” she says.

Their invitations and program featured feathers, as did the bouquets. Even the ring bearer's pillow had one. Miller donned peacock shoe clips, feathers in her hair and a peacock garter. At the reception venue, they really “went crazy,” Miller says.

“We have everything except a live peacock,” she says with a laugh.

The family got so into finding peacock items in the months leading up to the big day, Miller's mother even decorated an entire Christmas tree in peacock decor.

“It makes it so fun,” Miller says. “Everybody was thinking about it when they were out shopping. I get at least one text a week saying, ‘I saw something peacock and thought of you!' ”

Rachel Weaver is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-320-7948 or rweaver@tribweb.com.