Weddingbee Blog

Much to Mr. Wallaby’s exasperation, I have a terrible memory. He will sometimes ask me to bring something over from my apartment, and five minutes later when I’m out the door, I’ve already forgotten. My long-term memory is bad too—my mom remembers more details of my childhood than I do. But something that stays with me forever is smell—I still remember the smell of the flat in Paris where my family lived when I was three years old. I remember the smell of the shampoo that I used at summer camp in the summer before eighth grade. I remember the smell of my late grandmother’s apple pies, and the smell of fresh mint growing along my parents’ porch. I’ve worn a lot of different perfumes over the years, and each perfume reminds me of a particular time of my life. For example, I packed a mini bottle of Marc Jacobs Lola when I backpacked around Europe after college, and that warm floral scent always reminds me of trekking around Florence and Barcelona.

I loved the idea of wearing a new perfume on my wedding day, so afterward I could wear the perfume again and again and reminisce on the special day. Mr. W asked me several times for ideas of wedding gifts for me, and I hinted that perfume would be a lovely gift.

Photo by Simply Bloom Photography via Style Me Pretty

It wouldn’t be the first time he’s gifted me perfume—some of my past birthday and Christmas presents have included bottles of perfume. And three of the fragrances in my current rotation were gifts or picked out by Mr. W.

My current perfume line-up: Michael Kors Very Hollywood, Coach Poppy Flower, Marc Jacobs Lola, and Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! / Personal photo

That hardest part was picking the right scent for our wedding day. I gave Mr. W a few hints, but ultimately it was up to him

I am always drawn to light floral scents. Here are some of the perfumes I’ve been coveting in the last six months:

Flowerbomb, by Viktor Rolf

NOTES: jasmine, rose, orchid, freesia, patchouli

Mrs. Wallaby’s take: This is probably number one on my most-coveted list. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and sultry. I love the sexy notes of jasmine, while the patchouli appeals to my inner tree-hugger. And Mrs. Turtle swears by it!

Image via Sephora

Lovestruck, by Vera Wang

NOTES: pink guava, mandarin, tuberose, lotus blossom, precious woods, sheer musk

Mrs. Wallaby’s take: This scent is a little different from my usual taste, but it is fairly bold and would stand out from my everyday perfumes.

Image via Sephora

Miss Dior Cherie, by Dior

NOTES: freesia, jasmine, orange blossom, popcorn (???), vanilla, caramel, patchouli

Mrs. Wallaby’s take: This was Mrs. Snapdragon‘s and Mrs. Apple’s perfume of choice for their weddings. It’s very sweet and feminine without being overbearing. Also, the bottle is perfection.

Image via Sephora

J’Adore by Dior

NOTES: ylang-ylang, Turkish rose, plum

Mrs. Wallaby’s take: this is a wonderful, simple perfume…maybe too simple for our wedding day? It is a really nice everyday perfume for going to work, going about town, etc. I took home a sample of it from Sephora and wore it for a week, and I loved it.

Image via Sephora

Parisienne, by Yves Saint Laurent

NOTES: blackberry, damask rose, sandalwood

Mrs. Wallaby’s take: Like Lovestruck, this is definitely different from any perfume I’ve owned before, but it’s a good different—like getting a post-wedding chop or stepping out in a maxi dress for the first time. Maybe sandalwood is the new, more sophisticated Mrs. Wallaby.

Image via Sephora

So there you have it…all of my perfume “wants.” I’ll keep you posted on what I ended up wearing on the Big Day.

How did you choose your wedding-day fragrance? Did you choose something new or are you wearing your familiar “signature scent”?

PS: If you’re drawn toward wearing perfume but you’re not sure what perfume to invest in (they can be pricey!!), try taking the in-store fragrance finder quiz at Sephora or the online quizzes provided by Real Simple and Macy’s. If you’re still not sure, ask someone working at the perfume counter to make you a sample—Nordstrom and Sephora will make you free samples in mini spritzer bottles, and Macy’s carries samples of popular perfumes that they carry. I never buy a full-price bottle of perfume without using a sample bottle for a week to make sure I love it. Also, next time you’re traveling, look for duty-free perfume at the airport. I love to try new perfumes when I have time to kill before a flight.