The best wedding perfumes to immortalise your special day

Even for the most fervent fragrance lover, the task of finding a wedding day perfume can be overwhelming. Choosing a scent for your big day will capture the moments in your olfactory memory and allow you to revisit them each time you lift the lid on that special bottle.

Bridal fragrance services can help you to find your perfect perfume, but if you’re looking to do some research prior to your visit, or aren’t able to fit an appointment into an already packed pre-wedding schedule, we spoke to experts behind some of the biggest fragrance brands to share their advice on the factors to contemplate when searching for your wedding day perfume.

“Consider the atmosphere you are trying to create and the location of your nuptials, as well as factoring in the season,” says Cathy Newman, marketing and customer experience director at The Perfume Shop. “While a summer manor house wedding may demand something classic and effortlessly sensual, a chic city affair calls for something sophisticated and sexy, whereas a dramatic winter church occasion might better suit a rich, heady fragrance.”

Working out which notes you already like (i.e. those found in your current favourite perfumes) is a good starting point. From there, you can see which perfumes blend these with complimentary accords or experiment with contrasting notes. “Layering notes from within the same family can create spellbinding symphonies,” says Emma South, fragrance and lifestyle expert at Jo Malone London.

“A bespoke bouquet of floral notes will be completely enchanting, particularly when they mirror the floral arrangements. Equally captivating is a striking contrast. Scents in the citrus family always feel celebratory with their natural sparkle and effervescence and they dazzle worn with any other family, from the more luscious fruits to the smokiest woods.”

While common wedding scent ingredients include notes such as rose, jasmine, tuberose, and sandalwood, the perfect pairing isn’t just about the fragrance matching you, but making sure that it also compliments your partner and their preferences.

“My top three tips for any couple looking to find the perfect scent would be firstly, come in together to choose your scents, it should be one of the most fun and least stressful decisions. Consider the day you are planning so you can find scents that reflect the setting, the season, and tie food, floral and thematic flourishes together,” says South.

“Lastly, resist wearing your chosen scents until your wedding so they don’t become diluted with other memories. This will ensure they form the most powerful time capsule of your special day.”

Below, find our pick of the best wedding-appropriate perfumes to help capture those cherished memories.

Peony & Blush Suede Cologne

The ultimate soft, feminine fragrance, Jo Malone London’s Peony & Blush suede opens with juicy red apple before balancing with powdery floral notes of rose, peony, and jasmine. Some of Jo Malone’s other most popular wedding perfumes include English Pear & Freesia, Wood Sage & Sea Salt and Lime Basil & Mandarin, with the majority of scents reading unisex, making them ideal for matching with your other half.

Longevity is another key factor you want to consider when it comes to your wedding day perfume; the last thing you want is your fragrance to wane before you’ve even made it down the aisle. Not only is Sì a versatile and much-loved fragrance, but it also reads differently for many thanks to its complex blend of accords, and will linger on the skin for hours upon end. A classic chypre fragrance, fresh notes of cassis and freesia are warmed by vanilla, ambroxan and deepened with a woody finish.

Molecule 01 Eau de Toilette

Escentric Molecules

£64.80

For those wanting something a little outside the box, try Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules. In this fragrance, classic notes have been ousted for one singular ingredient, Iso E Super, which interacts with your natural pheromones for a truly unique skin scent.

La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum

This sweet and fruity incarnation from Lancôme will be loved by those who lean towards gourmand fragrances; opening notes of sparkling blackcurrant and pear dry down into the warmth of praline, vanilla and tonka bean.

An ideal accompanying scent for a late summer or early autumn wedding, this heady and aromatic unisex blend conjures an atmosphere of the late Sixties, with notes of patchouli, clary sage that are lifted by violet leaf and bergamot.

Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum

Where weddings abroad in warmer climes require a fragrance that will mirror the sparkling waters and dappled sunlight, Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford embodies the very best of what a citrus scent can be. Italian lemon, bergamot and mandarin unfurl to reveal a heart of neroli and jasmine for a fragrance that will return you to the Mediterranean each time you spritz.

Your wedding scent can be a perfect opportunity for incorporating nostalgic notes that carry personal meaning, whether it’s the flower your grandmother grew in her garden or the beautiful bouquet you received on your second date. Celine’s Rimbaud blends classic floral notes of lavender, iris and white flowers, with soft iterations of vanilla and wood for to create a modern yet timeless scent.

If you are drawn to scents with intensity, this might be the one for you. With a definitively nostalgic read, 1996 holds the wearer in a smooth amber woody embrace. “Wintertime typically sees us drawn to richer, warmer scents that envelope us like cashmere, such as amber and tonka notes,” says South. “Fragrances with oud and patchouli in them create a hypnotic and alluring trail in the cold air.” In this fragrance, leather, patchouli and amber nestle on the skin for an evocative perfume that will last well beyond the final dance.

White Rose & Lemon Leaves A Fragrance

Floral, fresh and crisp, this fragrance from Jo Loves is redolent of springtime. As the name gives away, white rose and lemon leaf are the starring notes in this airy perfume, with rose absolute lending a hint of sweetness.

Florals are often paired with sweet or fruity notes when it comes to fragrances, which can make it trickier when trying to make it work alongside your chosen wedding flowers. This scent from Cartier occupies a natural, fresh ground, marrying light hyacinth with green accords for a refreshing twist on a floral fragrance.

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