For extra insurance that your fragrance will last, pick from a brand that offers the same scent across body care and fragrance. “Applying the lotion of the fragrance you choose will definitely help [it last],” says Grugeon. Missing Person by Phlur hits all these points: It’s a skin musk (Kohl says skin scents have been “a major category for weddings”) with floral notes that comes in an eau de parfum, body wash, body lotion, body oil, and hand cream.
Layer scents for a unique-to-you fragrance
For the more adventurous, a single perfume might not do. If you’re into scent cocktailing, your wedding is a great time to experiment with layering — but this is definitely something you’ll want to play around with before the big day. “Just because you like two scents doesn’t mean they’ll smell good together,” advises Chiaki Nomura, a perfumer at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). “Plan ahead and experiment with different combinations and proportions. Have fun with the process and pay attention to how long each combination lasts or if it changes throughout the day. If you think you’ve found your perfect combo, test it out multiple times to make sure you’re 100% confident in your choice.” This is another time when a discovery set from your favorite brand can come in handy.
Instead of literally layering by spraying two perfumes in the same spot, Weinberg recommends “scent shadowing,” meaning you apply one perfume on one shoulder and a second on the other. “With shadowing, the scents still interact, but the results are a little more predictable than when you’re physically combining multiple fragrances,” she explains.
In terms of scents that play well together, Kohl says that at least one should be a straightforward formula. “For example, tame a scent’s sharp edges by adding a layer of the soft musk fragrance enhancer I Don’t Know What by DS & Durga or amplify a rose heart with Rose Magnetic by Essential Parfums,” she says. (I Don’t Know What is endorsed by at least one Allure editor, Jesa Marie Calaor, who wore it for her wedding in 2023.) “l sometimes wear a good quality patchouli oil under a dark floral or gourmand fragrance, simply because it’s my favorite note and pairs beautifully with rose and vanilla.”
Make fragrance shopping a pre-wedding date
If your partner also plans to have a signature wedding scent, pick a date to go shopping together. “It’s not only a romantic date, but a fun way to ensure your partner loves what you wear to the wedding,” Kohl says. (A good idea: If things go to plan, you’ll probably be together quite a lot on the big day.) For anyone who can get to Hudson, New York, I highly recommend the fragrance-cocktail pairing at The Maker Hotel: A bartender will bring out a tray of The Maker’s seven eau de parfums so you can sample each scent, then order a cocktail that corresponds with your favorite to enjoy in the hotel’s artfully decorated lounge. When I visited recently, I left with Stag (agarwood, palo santo, leather) and a friend chose Lover (fig, jasmine, vetiver, oud), two scents a rep for the brand says are quite popular wedding fragrances.
There are several ways to go about picking the final fragrances you’ll wear. “Your fragrances could be matching, contradicting, or complementary to one another so when you two are together you create your own special scent bubble,” Nomura suggests. If you’re into the matching idea, Kohl says The Architects Club by Arquiste and Vanille Supermassive by Les Eaux Primordiales are great options.
Don’t forget the candles (and your guests)
If you’re a real fragrance freak, you’ll want to scent out the whole venue, either with candles or, for venues that don’t allow open flames, diffusers. For this, you’ll want to lean toward notes that tend to be crowd-pleasers: Grugeon says gourmand and amber notes are generally well-received by most noses, while Nomura says bright florals like rose and jasmine should be pretty safe bets. On the flip side, Grugeon says powdery florals (like tuberose and lilies) or strong woody scents (like patchouli) can be “tricky for some people;” Nomura has similar thoughts about fruits with “sulfuric or butyric notes like cassis or grapefruit.”
