The scent has the power to evoke strong memories, making it all the more important to carefully choose a perfume to wear on your wedding day. Chances are, whenever you catch a whiff of the fragrance thereafter, you’ll be brought back to your perfect big day and all the celebratory moments you shared with your spouse, your family, and your friends. But just how do you go about choosing a perfume from all the beautiful bottles in Sephora or on the department store shelves? Simple. Just base your pick on your bridal style.
Whether you went with a classic ball gown or bohemian sheath, your personal style has probably already helped you chose a wedding dress. Similarly, it’s always best to select your wedding-day scent with your individual tastes in mind. You want to feel wholly like yourself on the big day, after all, so aligning your perfume with your personality is the way to go. Boho bride? Opt for a fragrance with gorgeous woodsy notes. Is your bridal style more classic and refined? Choose a scent that features fresh florals.
There’s no one-scent-fits-all perfume that you should wear on your wedding day. As with the rest of bridal beauty, wedding fragrances are personal to each bride. Some brides want something special for their big day, while others won’t feel like themselves unless they’re wearing their every day, signature scent. But if you are shopping for a new wedding perfume, we’ve rounded up some old classics and new favorites with 15 iconic wedding fragrances for brides.
Many of these perfumes feature in the pre-wedding prep shots of many of our real weddings, some are One Fab Day team picks for our own wedding days, and others are modern scents we reckon you should have on your radar. But as with all fragrance, it’s personal. So head to your nearest department store or perfume shop, try some on for yourself, and see which scent takes your fancy for your big day.
1. Chanel No. 5
This one is a no-brainer. We could have added any number of Chanel perfumes to the list but no fragrance features more in our real weddings than Chanel No. 5. A true perfume icon!
2. Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede
Jo Malone perfume is another iconic choice among brides, and whatever scent you choose, you’re bound to smell heavenly walking down the aisle. Our own Marketing Manager Joanna wore Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede Cologne on her big day, soft and luxurious, it’s just right for a wedding! (Jo Malone in Brown Thomas offer a free bridal experience so make sure you pay them a visit if you’re in Dublin!)
3. Le Labo Lys 41
Le Labo fragrances are fast becoming a modern icon in perfume. While they are at the more expensive end of the fragrance spectrum, each bottle is hand-blended, and given with a personalised label, making it a beautiful keepsake wedding perfume. Each scent is beautiful but Le Labo Lys 41, with jasmine and lily is divine. It’s available as a solid perfume too.
4. Charlotte Tilbury Scent of a Dream
The bottle and the name of this fragrance alone make it a gorgeous choice for a wedding, but what does it smell like? Top notes include lemon, peach and black pepper, with floral and woody scents developing over time as you wear it. And according to the designer, Charlotte Tilbury Scent of a Dream will bring love, light, power, positivity and sex to the wearer – what bride doesn’t want all of that on their wedding day!
5. Burren Perfumery Frond
We couldn’t talk about wedding perfumes without including an Irish fragrance. So many of our real weddings are planned as a homage to the Irish landscape, so it’s fitting to choose a perfume that is too. All Burren Perfumery fragrances take notes from different aspects of nature in Ireland from the sea to the woodland, but Frond with the freshness of cut grass and florals scents of wild rose, violet and ylang ylang is a particularly wedding-worthy choice.
6. Chloé Eau de Parfum
Another truly iconic perfume, from its pretty bottle to its sweet powdery scents of peony, rose petals, and magnolia, the signature Chloé Eau de Parfum is well-suited to your bridal beauty bag of tricks.
7. Narciso Rodriguez Eau de Parfum
A pretty bottle with a modern, minimal feel, Narciso Rodriguez Eau de Parfum is a grown-up fragrance, with a musk heart, accented hints of rose, peach and soft amber. Sounds like a beautiful blend to me!
8. Penhaligon’s Luna
If you want to treat yourself to a fine fragrance for your wedding, luxe British perfumery Penhaligon’s is just the place. Known for the longevity of their fragrances, the quality of these scents make them ideal for a wedding day. Many of their perfumes would be beautiful for a bride, but Penhaligon’s Luna, with its fresh floral notes and elegant white bottle is our favourite.
9. Tom Ford White Patchouli
Brides and grooms alike love Tom Ford fragrances for their luxurious feel and sophisticated scents, so it’s hard to pick just one wedding perfume from the collection. Tom Ford White Patchouli clinches it though with its chic white and gold bottle and elegant white floral notes.
10. Tocca Florence
The girls in the One Fab Day office swear by Tocca perfumes for scents special enough to wear on your wedding day. Tocca Florence is inspired by old-world Paris with notes of bergamot, gardenia, and blonde wood.
11. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
Áine on the One Fab Day team wore Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue on her wedding day and says it had the fresh, summery feel she was after. Definitely one to wear if you don’t want a wedding fragrance that’s too strong or fussy.
12. Byredo Gypsy Water
Boho brides, this might be the wedding day perfume for you. Byredo Gypsy Water has a cult status among the hippest perfume wearers. A free-spirited scent, expect notes of pine needle, sandalwood and lemon with hints of vanilla and bergamot for an earthy outdoorsy perfume.
13. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium
A signature scent that’s so unique it always garners compliments, Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium perfume lasts for hours, making it a savvy choice for a wedding day fragrance. See More Yves Saint Laurent colognes
14. Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady
The kind of perfume that lures people in, Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady is a fine fragrance laced with rose and patchouli. An unique and opulent scent, this one is most definitely fit for the occasion!
Get more bridal beauty tips and ideas
This feature includes affiliate links
How to Pick the Right Cologne/Perfume For You
What’s the Difference Between Cologne/Perfume, Eau de Toilette, and Eau de Parfum?
I know, it’s seems super complicated and, to be honest, it doesn’t really need to be. Here’s a top-level breakdown so you know the real difference and can now choose the right fragrance option for you.
What are Top Notes, Base Notes, and Medium Notes?
Top Notes: These are typically lighter scents and what you’ll smell first.
Base Notes: These are typically bolder and stronger scents that you’re left with after applying the cologne.
Medium Notes: These are typically your more fruity notes that combine with your top and bottom notes. It pretty much ties everything together.
Overall, the notes are the notes (if that makes sense), but the overall smell is going to differ person to person and how they truly interact with your own body’s chemistry. The notes are a good overall guide so you know what you’re getting out of the cologne, but don’t be afraid if you see a note that you may not love, it doesn’t mean the entire cologne will smell like that. It’s just how they all work together.
Base Notes: These are typically bolder and stronger scents that you’re left with after applying the cologne.
Medium Notes: These are typically your more fruity notes that combine with your top and bottom notes. It pretty much ties everything together.
Overall, the notes are the notes (if that makes sense), but the overall smell is going to differ person to person and how they truly interact with your own body’s chemistry. The notes are a good overall guide so you know what you’re getting out of the cologne, but don’t be afraid if you see a note that you may not love, it doesn’t mean the entire cologne will smell like that. It’s just how they all work together.
