Peony was present! She'd taken a fashion risk with this dress (a slightly longer version of the skirt in the photo), but mostly she didn't want to have a floor length gown to trip over while she was running around mingling and managing things.
Linden arrived later with one of their guests: Vedasto Da Silva, the Da Silvas being a family of Spanish and Filipino descent. Linden and Veda are clearly getting along like brothers from other mothers.