How to Pick the Perfect Wedding Fragrance
It is no secret that memory formation is heavily tied to our sense of smell. Let’s just say, it’s no coincidence that a whiff of Axe body spray transports you directly to middle school, or spring break my sophomore year of high school in Kiawah Island drifts into focus the moment I smell PINK Sun Kissed body mist. As humans, our olfactory system prompts memories, often sentimental, that live rent-free in our minds. For reason, I knew I wanted a wedding fragrance specific for our wedding day to capture memories of joyful tears with family and friends for decades to comes.
Selecting A Fragrance
So, you’ve decided you want to select a special wedding day fragrance. Now what? There are a few questions to ask yourself when it comes to selecting your perfect perfume for your big day.
What fragrances do I love?
Are there any smells that I cannot stand?
What scent accentuates the flowers from my bouquet?
How about my venue?
How will the bottle look in a flat lay?
For me, I get horrible headaches with overly floral fragrances, so the vast majority of perfumes are sadly a no-go. These are important things to know, especially if you plan to spend a precious penny on your fragrance. The last thing you want is your perfume to cause a headache halfway through your “I Dos!”
If you aren’t sure from reading description online which fragrance you’d prefer, I recommend going to Sephora or Ulta and doing a few testers to see what appeals to you the most. Once you’ve selected a fragrance, it’s time to do some price shopping. You may be surprised to know that Walmart actually carries dozens of high-end perfumes, sometimes at a discounted price.
My Wedding Fragrance
With these questions in mind, I selected Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana. The light blue bottle and fruity, green apple notes made it the perfect fragrance for a beach wedding, plus it worked perfectly in a flat lay with other assets from our wedding. I received a tester of this perfume back in college, so I knew I loved it, I just never had a reason to splurge a purchase a bottle in the past.
I did some shopping around to find the best price and then finally made the purchase. I am so glad I did, because having a wedding day fragrance specific to this day is so incredibly special.
Things to Remember
Don't Break the Bank
Remember that you don’t have to break the bank if you want a signature fragrance for your wedding day, especially if you don’t have plans for it to appear in wedding photos. There are so many amazing companies out there like Dossier that provide inexpensive dupes for your favorite high-end fragrances.
Prepare for your Photographer
If you do want your perfume to be captured alongside your paper suite (save-the-dates, invitations, and any other, paper goods sent along with the wedding invitations), be sure to curate a bag or box of all these items prior to the wedding day for your photographer. For my photographer, I curated a box the day before the wedding with ribbon, our save-the-dates, wedding invitations, a ring box with our wedding bands, other jewelry and my wedding perfume.
Shop Around
It’s important to shop around for the best price. Retailers often hold beauty sales where their fragrances are marked down. Be sure to check out Nordstrom, Macys, Belk, Walmart, Sephora and Ulta. Perfume is a high-margin item for retailers, so they normally have a little wiggle room and offer discounts from time-to-time if you’re willing to be patient and strategic in finding deals.