Scent one of the most powerful ways to evoke memory. So, long after the honeymoon is over, you can be transported back to those special wedding day moments with just a sniff of the scents you used on the day. Using particular fragrances to scent your wedding day has become very popular in recent years. Kate Middleton brought the trend to the fore when she had Orange Blossom Cologne from Jo Malone London scented throughout Westminster Abbey for her wedding to Prince William in 2011. Taking a leaf out of her sister-in-law's big day playbook, seven years later Meghan Markle chose a fragrance by Diptyque to scent her wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle. There are so many ways to include special scented moments in your wedding, and clever ways to ensure that every scent element you use, complements the rest. From the bride's signature perfume, to your choice of flowers or scenting your ceremony and reception space, here are top tips on how to scent your wedding well.
Why Should You Scent Your Wedding?
It may seem like adding extra work to your already long to-do list. But there is a value in considering this element of your wedding day carefully. We asked Emma South, Fragrance & Lifestyle Expert at Jo Malone London, which offers complimentary 'Scent Your Wedding' consultations, to talk us through why scenting your wedding this is more than just a trend and can add to the overall sensory experience of the day for you and your guests. Firstly, she advises to visualise your space as a blank canvas, waiting to be brought to life for all the senses - the eyes, the ears and the nose. "Even the most sumptuous spaces can feel empty without elements like music, lighting and fragrance. Scent envelopes your guests in the moment and sets the mood, leaving a glowing impression, long after the festivities have finished."
Your Fragrance Time Capsule
"A scented wedding means creating an olfactive anchor on the most precious day," explains Emma. "The scents you choose to accompany you down the aisle, and dance with you into the night will become your time capsule to relive those moments, whether it is in five or 50 years' time." Choosing your wedding scents should be one of the most enjoyable decisions you have to make, just like a delicious menu tasting, and it's important to do this as a couple. Emma says that at a wedding scent consultation, the more details that are included the better. "This means you can select scents that might reference the setting, the season, the floristry, the colour scheme, etc, alongside both your personal scent preferences."
Getting Started
But how do you scent your wedding? Where do you start and what should you take into consideration to find the perfect fragrance? There are three main elements that should be taken into account when deciding on how to scent your wedding. This includes, both you and your partner's personal scents on the day, the season or month you are getting married in, and the venue for both the ceremony and the reception. These three elements should be working in olfactory harmony.
How to Scent your Wedding for the Season
When and where your wedding happens is a big factor to consider. Will it be outdoors surrounded by gardens or in the woods, or will it be indoors where the smell of a roaring open fire will be wafting through the air? If it's a Christmas wedding will your scents be mixing with the smell of pine? Will you be using in-season florals or foliage? These are all important questions to consider. It is rumoured that Meghan Markle chose Diptyque's Muguet fragrance to scent the bows and floral arches at her wedding, a fragrance that promises to "wake good fortune and dresses the month of May", the month they tied the knot. Remember that different flowers have different meanings, and it might appeal to you to have these included in your bouquets and floral decor, as well as the ingredients in your scented candles or diffusers.
Emma explains that the seasons do influence our tastes and that people associate certain notes with particular times of year, not to mention that these notes are inspired what is happening around us in nature with the season. So this is a great place to start when trying to narrow down complementary notes. "A summer wedding will have a different vibe to one held in winter. Springtime naturally calls for dewy, wild and woodland flowers; the carpet of sapphire that is wild bluebell, with notes of crystal-clear lily of the valley, is perfect," says Emma. "High summer pairs wonderfully with honeysuckle and those intoxicating, yet luminous florals such as jasmine and tuberose, redolent of balmy summer evenings. Jo Malone London's English Pear & Freesia will always be the queen of Autumn, full of golden light and ripening pears. Wintertime typically sees us drawn to richer, warmer scents that envelope us like cashmere, such as amber and tonka notes. Fragrances with oud and patchouli in them create a hypnotic and alluring trail in the cold air."
How to Scent Your Ceremony & Reception Space
A thorough run-through of your ceremony and reception space is necessary to decide where your fragrance touch points can be. "Clusters of candles down the aisle, across tabletops or illuminating stairs, create an instant atmosphere and most venues are happy to accommodate this, especially if candles are contained within hurricane vases." It's important to liaise with your florist to decide how these elements can be further integrated with your flower scheme. "Floral arrangements around the base of scented candles or hurricane lanterns look stunning as centrepieces, and it can all work in harmony," says Emma.
Maximise the Impact
Remember that it's an added expense to scent your wedding, one which will have to be included in your budget, so you want to get the most out of this extra element and maximise its impact. There's no point in having expensive scented candles or diffusers going for hours before anyone arrives. "Have someone in charge of lighting the candles at least half an hour before your guests arrive," advises Emma. "That way the scent will have had time to diffuse, and the room will be beautifully fragrant and welcoming. Diffusers and room mists are perfect to use beforehand too, especially if there are restrictions on candles."
Choosing your Signature Scent
Naturally, you may already have a signature scent that you wouldn't dream of straying from, and that is perfectly okay - if you adore it and it makes you happy, then don't feel you have to have something new just because. However, some couples love the idea of choosing a new signature scent for their wedding day, one that will make you feel all the joy you felt in that moment, every time you wear it. If this is what you want, deciding on the other elements first can help you in narrowing down the perfume or cologne to wear on your big day to ones that work with, not against your captivating wedding scent-scape. Not only that but you could also gift complementary scents to your bridesmaids or groomsmen as well, so they can also harmonise with your choices.
Scented Small Touches
Don't forget you can always incorporate scent into your wedding in other small ways that you might not have thought of.
- For scented wedding favours consider things like sachets of dried flowers or loose tea, votive candles, packets of seeds, or mini bottles of alcohol, such as gin with notes from your chosen scent.
- All of these can also be added to wedding welcome bags to create the mood from the moment your guests arrive.
- Use dried flowers and herbs like rosemary or thyme instead of confetti - sustainable and fragrant.
- And let's not forget how closely related our sense of taste and smell are. Incorporate your scent elements when choosing your menu, and especially when devising your cocktail menu.
Love exploring the world of wedding scents? Read our 10 Alternative Wedding Fragrances for Brides, or 14 Iconic Wedding Fragrances for Brides, or Fragrances for the Summer Bride.
