A scary fact dawned on me this weekend – the fact that it is not long at all until my dear fiancée and I get married, 103 days in fact. And I mean properly hitched, thanks to our lovely politicians allowing for gay marriages to take place for the first time in the UK in 2014. It’s a brave and wonderful world that we’re leaving in and I hope that all around the world others will have the same opportunities that I am ever so fortunate to have.

Now I’m very excited for my pending nuptials of course, but there is a lot to organise and whilst Nigel and I are very much on top of things, the pressure definitely feels on to get things done in the little time that we have left. We’ve sorted the flowers, cake, venue, Butler & Wilson bling, favours and a whole host of other things – but there’s still a lot to do and I’m hoping not to turn into a Groomzilla anytime soon!

Of course, one of the most important decisions for me to make is what perfume to wear on the big day. I posted a little while back, pooling some of my ideas together for the big wedding scent hunt. So how far have I come now? Have I finally picked my wedding scent? Or am I just as clueless as I was when I first started this little journey? Well the answer is…

…I’ve made a shortlist! That’s right – despite my complete indecisiveness with most things in life I have successfully managed to narrow down my potential wedding scent to four possible perfume contenders. It hasn’t been an easy task either, I’ve had months of sniffing and deliberating to contend with, and there’s been some painful omissions (I really did feel bad for not including Alien – it would have been fabulous to be ‘Married in Mugler), but I’m happy knowing that this list is the list. Well for now anyway…

I’m a bit late to the Arquiste party, having only got my hands on samples of the line very recently, but what I have smelled so far has impressed me (I’ll be reviewing the whole line in the weeks to come). One fragrance that was a particular stand out for me was Boutonnière no.7 – a gardenia perfume with a decidedly masculine edge.

This one is the most recent addition to my shortlist and right now it is sitting at the very top. When organising the wedding the one thing I was certain of was that I wanted gardenias on our tables and in our button holes. Unfortunately for me it’s not possible to have gardenias in England in May so this little olfactory button hole would be a good substitute. It also smells pretty wonderful, which helps!

Epic Woman is my wedding wild card. It is not conventionally bridal in the sense that it’s not a big white floral. In fact, Epic couldn’t be further from a big bunch of white flowers if it tried – and that’s exactly what makes it an intriguing choice for me. This Amouage, housed within it’s imperial jadeite-esque bottle, is a syrupy floral oriental with strong spice and tea accents, and would make for an subversive choice for a wedding perfume.

What makes Epic stand out for me is the story behind it. Taking inspiration from the trade routes of the silk road, this perfume speaks of epic journeys, the likes of which are very much a thing of the past. In a way I feel that Nigel and I have been on somewhat of an epic adventure since we met many moons ago and Epic would be the perfect olfactory nod to our legendary love and friendship.

Obviously I am a white floral nut so it is no surprise that some of my wedding scent contenders (i.e. the majority) are from my most favourite of perfume genres. One white floral perfume I’ve always loved is Vero Profumo’s Rubj – a white floral that is distinctly unique and has a wonderfully complex character.

If I were to wear Rubj I would wear the Extrait for depth accompanied by the Voiles d’Extrait for volume. The effect would be a dramatic cloud of milky/salty orange blossom, tuberose and jasmine with slightly fruity undertones. I’d be the belle of the ball and seeing as I do like to be the centre attention on the odd occasion (a complete shock, I know), Rubj may just be the perfect fit.

I do love me some Maison Francis Kurkdjian and one of my favourite scents from the line is Aqua Universalis. AU’s more mature older brother is Aqua Universalis Forte, which takes the sparkling blend of citrus, white flowers and musk to a stronger, more heady level of shimmering gorgeousness with more intense notes of bergamot. It really is an understated beauty.

This one would make a nice wedding scent for me because it fits our theme of origami paper and white flowers. Somehow it manages to capture the spirit of both of these elements (a fresh piece of parchment and a subtle bouquet of lily of the valley) and turns them into something effortlessly wearable. A very strong contender indeed!

Join the Discussion!

So that’s my shortlist – what do you think? Are there any glaring omissions that you would like to recommend? Should I put Alien back in there? What did you wear on your wedding day/what would you wear if you were to get married? What do you think makes for a good wedding scent?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below!

Disclaimer

Image 1 via thewhaleandtherose.com; ebay.com; olfactoriastravels.com; and baobella.com. Image 2 via thewhaleandtherose.com. Image 3 via ebay.com. Image 4 via olfactoriastravels.com. Image 5 via baobella.com.