In this article, we begin with some wedding day pointers: some considerations that serve to elevate your experience surrounding the wedding - before, during, and after the big day. In the latter half of the article, we then recommend some fragrances appropriate for all sorts of weddings, great for those who don’t know where to begin!
First and foremost, all weddings are special moments in time. Our sense of smell is intimately connected to our memory, and we’re all familiar with those passing aromas that - without warning - evoke memories of places, spaces, people, and things. With this in mind, preempt this by selecting a unique fragrance that’ll powerfully preserve the memory. Inversely, avoid scents you might associate with work or the office - keep those things separate!
Savour the significant moment with something meaningful. Consider what you wore when you first met, or something that your partnerother has liked on you in the past. Make a tasteful choice, and be careful not to opt for anything that clears the room or divides opinion.
Alternatively, capitalise on the new and the unknown and select a fragrance you’ve not yet worn to mark the occasion indelibly. If you need assistance, our Fragrance Sample Packs puts our fragrance curator at your service, and via a consultation process we can help you find a fragrance expertly matched to your needs and preferences. Even better, find the one, together with the one.
Finally - have a splurge! You’ll never have a better reason to do so. This is the perfect occasion to splurge on a fragrance and find something extraordinary.
Best Fragrances for a Casual Wedding
Casual yet dressy is not a contradiction! If a casual wedding is more your style, maintain the relaxed yet ceremonious spirit with an effervescent fragrance without being aloof or downplaying the elegance factor. Cedar Woodpecker (Parle Moi de Parfum) puts the fun and the serious in equilibrium, where energetic citrus fruits settle on the pure and stylish heart of cedar wood with the classically fresh and floral dimension unique to iris alone. Cedar Woodpecker balances the bittersweet with the fresh and the dry, and this direct complexity is as refined as it is unstuffy - great for daytime weddings.
Bois Imperial from Essential Parfums builds an incredible fragrance from impressive and long lasting woody-amber materials, including patchouli, vetiver, and cedar, overlaid with sizzling black pepper and beguiling herbs and florals. It wear wears easily and effortlessly, is long lasting, and slides from day to night, formal and relaxed in an instant. For a wedding that is dynamic - perhaps concluding in a stylish restaurant or bar - Bois Imperial is a necessity.
Best Fragrances for a Traditional Wedding
For the traditionalists - classic dark suiting, bowties and shirt studs - the reserved but never boring Je Suis Un Homme (Etat Libre d’Orange) is classically-charged without reservation: a proud amalgamation of notes that honour traditionally ‘old-school’ masculinity - with a subversive twist, of course. A fantasy of what Napoleon himself may have sprayed on himself before combat, lustrous lemon notes are warmed with clove and cinnamon, given impact with a generous slug of Cognac, earthy patchouli, sweet myrtle, and a base of birch and ambergris. Perfect for all seasons, Je Suis is fantastic dressed up.
For the ultra-classic, Gold Man (Amouage) represents not only the best in its class, but one of the most luxurious fragrant compositions in history: a sumptuous blend of florals (muguet, rosehip, jasmine) arranged like a triumphant Mahler symphony, resting on a powerful base of resins, balsamics, and animal notes of the highest quality. Gold Man speaks of a luxury of a time that might appear age-old now, but its formal excellence is indubitably timeless. Not everyone can pull this fragrance off, but a monumental occasion demands a scent like this.
Something in the middle: 1725 from Histoires de Parfum is quiet beauty, a marvel of gorgeous lavender that invites one to sink into its composition. Built around this central note is vanilla, star anise, liquorice, cedar, and musk - it is a elongated breath of herbal, floral and calm freshness. This is a fragrance that is alert and equally puts at ease. Memorable but not overdone.
Best Fragrance for a Country Wedding
Feu Secret (FZOTIC) evokes the earthy and the natural, with refined agrestic and 'dusty' qualities that wear well in a country setting. Decadent amounts of orris butter form the background of this fragrance, a extravagance in and of itself, mingling with spicy and sweet pink peppercorn and the unmistakably green touch of eucalyptus. This fragrance is handsomely woody, smoky, and musky, hinting at the floral but goes deeper, into the earth. It's a story of a scent - an event - the perfect punctuation for a special day that takes place in the country.
Best Fragrance for a Modern Wedding
Sous Le Pont Mirabeau by Etat Libre d'Orange reflects a modern taste for quality. It bleeds with romanticism and symbolism, taking its name from a poem by Apollinaire. It is an ode to the Mirabeau bridge in Paris, an image of coming together and the power of connection. Strong yet gentle, confident and fluttering, delicate top notes of fig, ozone, citrus, and spices recall soft, flowing water, fused with incense. Whilst the strength of woods, amber, and musks in the base speak of a sturdy bridge that seemingly endures forever. Sous Le Pont extracts the best qualities of contemporary perfumery, with an eye (and nose) turned to the transcendent.
Best Fragrance for a Beach Wedding
Inspired by the Antibes, nestled between Cannes and Nice on the Cote d'Azur, Cap d'Antibes (Eight & Bob) calls to mind invigorating and sparkling seas, pristine coastline salty air, and citrus-scented breezes. However, it avoids the trappings of cliched citrus fruits, and begins with a tempting mint note fused with the spicy and sharp power of violet leaf - furthering the green aspects with a delirious, almost leathery power. Followed with cinnamon, cedar, incense, vetiver, and moss notes - the freshness of this scent is engulfed in a salty air. It has presence and colours the atmosphere of the wearer.
Best Fragrances for a Garden Wedding
If the wedding takes place outdoors during the warmer months, consider a citrus. Green Irish Tweed (Creed) is classic masculine freshness that miraculously evokes the aroma of sunlight and dew early on a springtime morning. A peppy note of crisp apple rapidly moves into violet leaf, sandalwood, and amber. More than the sum of its parts, it's the combination of herbal and green effects against a fresh woodiness that gives this scent an amiable personality, covering the wearer in the fragrant equivalent of a tweed suit and brown brogues.
No. 88 (Czech and Speake) is decidedly on the same page, but on the opposite end. Its masculine freshness is the result of a surprisingly combination of contrasting rose and patchouli. It is charmingly dark and austere, the perfect mix of heft, sharpness, and richness. Within its mossy sandalwood base builds an intensity of floral notes - geranium, cassia, frangipani, the aforementioned rose note - emerging a spectacle of an English garden. Manicured and pristine.
Best Fragrance for a Trendy / Urban Wedding
Exactly as the name suggests, Remarkable People (Etat Libre d’Orange) is an enlivening scent that celebrates remarkable moments and remarkable people. Remarkable People celebrates the here and now with its modern profusion of notes. The beguiling bitterness of tart grapefruit pairs with dry Champagne, generating a sizzling effect that is amplified with black pepper, cardamom, and curry leaf with dry woods in the base. Overall, this fragrance has the convivial energy of a high-spirited toast. Remarkable People finds its rightful place in the most urban of settings, with its trendy yet approachable personality.
And for those Eloping ...
And finally, if you’re eloping, may we suggest something strong, compact, and controversial? Nasomatto’s Black Afgano brings together hashish, tobacco, coffee, and oud for a bold scent reserved for the daring.
If you're still unsure, our personal Fragrance Consultation service can help guide you further to find that perfect wedding day fragrance. Let us hand-pick a personalised edit of 6 fragrances that speak to your tastes and curiosities.