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Researchers at Spate, a trend forecasting company in New York City, highlight the interest in Parfums de Marly when searching for a wedding fragrance. (At the time of reporting, #parfumsdemarly was the top-related branded hashtag alongside the hashtag #bridalperfume.) Allure staffers recommend the brand’s vividly floral Delina so much that we gave it a Best of Beauty Award last year. The fragrance has notes of damascena rose, lily of the valley, and peony, as well as juicy fruits. For an airier, more “delicate floral,” Watteau recommends Jo Malone’s Wild Bluebell, which smells like freshly-clipped blooms, persimmons, and musk.
Boin suggests dabbling in honeysuckle and magnolia fragrances. “They’re more modern florals that can be utilized when wanting to get away from traditional flowers like roses and muguet,” she says, adding that both “have a sparkling citrus kind of effect.”
Aerin’s Mediterranean Honeysuckle Eau de Parfum exemplifies her sentiments. It contains notes of honeysuckle (of course), grapefruit, and gardenia that’ll make you feel like you’re wading in sunshine. Aesop’s Aurner Eau de Parfum is a contemporary take on magnolia that leans more herbaceous than sweet. Chloé’s Atelier des Fleurs Magnolia Alba Eau de Parfum is a featherweight, sparkling magnolia. It’s romantic alone—like a breeze blowing through a garden of white florals—or layered with another perfume.
Stephen Nilsen, a New York City-based perfumer and Givaudan’s vice president of perfumery, proposes a sentimental approach to picking a floral. He points to the wedding tradition of acquiring “something new, something borrowed, and something blue” for your big day. Your “something old” or borrowed could be a classic floral beloved by a parent or best friend—perhaps Marc Jacobs Daisy, or even the brand’s latest Daisy Wild Intense, a flanker that’s greener but pays homage to its cult-favorite, honeyed fresh predecessor.
If you’re looking for something totally new and somewhat unexpected, try Phlur’s Golden Rule, which smells like jasmine, orange flower, and sandalwood (like a summer vacation to Cape Cod, bottled), or D.S. and Durga’s Brown Flowers. According to Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann, the latter “smells like an apothecary shop that sells dried flowers.” She adds that she’d recommend it to the bride “who’d get married in a vintage slip dress and wear a fur coat to the chapel.”
Dessert-Inspired Fragrances
While sweet, indulgent scents make an appearance every wedding season, the ongoing Great Gourmand Boom has made it so you have a ton of compelling options. Nilsen says you can look to your dessert table for ideas. “Inspiration from wedding almonds might suggest Arquiste Almond Suede,” he says. Your flower-trimmed red velvet wedding cake might prompt you to try Philosophy’s Fresh Cream Soft Velvet, which smells like sweet cream, chocolate, and lilies.
Nilsen adds that marshmallowy fragrances are having a moment and suggests Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow, which swirls the scent of the pillowy confection with a strawberry accord in a frosty pink bottle. I’m partial to Dedcool’s Mochi Milk, which smells like sugary fluff at first spritz, but fades to a rich amber throughout the day.
Skin Scents
Craving something more intimate? (That’s understandable, especially if you have a lengthy guest list.) Browse skin scents, which Watteau describes as “usually musky, sensual, and sometimes woody.” She adds that while florals and gourmands have historically been popular for weddings, many are now gravitating toward perfumes that are “more subtle, but still influential.”
