There are few places that inspire more creativity and joy than a flower shop. Chock full of blossoms and botanicals in a riot of colors, they provide a feast for the senses—and a sweet way to brighten anyone’s day. With last summer’s opening of Peony Design Studio, Pleasant Valley residents now have a shop that offers a bouquet of services, from custom wedding and event florals to sustainable and Hudson Valley-made gifts to community workshops that show anyone how to tap into the floral artist within.
Peony Design Studio was founded in 2010 by Christine Fontana, a floral designer who has over two decades of experience in the industry. Over the last decade, she has become one of the Hudson Valley’s go-to wedding and event florists, traveling all over the region to bring her clients’ most-dreamed-about moments to life. Whether she is creating arrangements for celebrations in rustic Hudson Valley vineyards, Pennsylvania horse farms, historic Connecticut estates, or quaint Catskill Mountain backyards, her designs take inspiration from the people who are celebrating as much as the settings themselves.
“Design doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it’s a give and take,” she says. “People often come to me with a few colors or concepts, or the feeling that they want to create for their event, but the process really starts there. Learning about someone and how they want their event to feel for their loved ones is how you begin to tell their story in the space.”
After 13 years of working with clients on custom floral arrangements for events of all sizes, Fontana felt it was time to put down stronger roots in her community by opening her studio to the public and expanding into the retail side of the business. “I saw that there was an opportunity to open a space that is there for the community,” she says. “I wanted this to be a space where people can feel comfortable just stopping by to see what’s going on.”
Last July, she opened her first brick-and-mortar shop in a historic building on Main Street across the street from the town’s new library. The white building, painted with larger-than-life pink peonies, is easy to spot. Inside, shoppers will find fresh-cut bouquets and centerpieces as well as a range of giftable items that Fontana has curated exclusively from companies with give-back programs built into their operations.
“In my own shopping, I realized there was nowhere close by where people could find skincare, candles, and other giftable items that were sustainable, made locally or in the USA, or had some sort of social responsibility,” she says. “To be able to provide a place in town where people can come and purchase products that actually support something bigger feels amazing.” Items on the shelves include everything from Harney & Sons teas (a 1% For The Planet participant) to candles from Calyan Wax Co., which donates to charities that fight human trafficking.
This spring, the shop will also begin hosting workshops where Fontana will teach floral design techniques as well as seasonal and holiday crafts. Customers can also stop by the shop or reach out by phone or email to discuss custom floral arrangements for celebratory events of all sizes, from large weddings and anniversaries to smaller elopements, post-engagement photo ops, and even private dinners. “Where you choose to have your event is so central to who you are. Some people might have super romantic visions and for others, it’s all about their family,” Fontana says. “It’s such an honor to do this work because people are inviting you into their lives at such a special moment. It’s such a happy place to be.”
