Scent-sational weddings

When organising a wedding, it's easy to get caught up in how things look. From wedding décor to dresses, the focus is often on aesthetics. Understandably so, the photos from your day being one of the main ways you'll look back and remember those delicate details you spent what seems like forever planning.
Fragrance, however, can be just as important in transporting you back to the joy you felt on the day you said I do. And in 2022, scent is taking centre stage as one of the biggest wedding trends of the summer.

Here, Clare Logan from home, bath and body care brand ARRAN Sense of Scotland outlines everything you need to know about creating your own scent-sational wedding day. "This year, weddings are all about fragrance," begins Clare, who is just in the process of planning a wedding herself and being immersed in the world of perfumery on a daily basis, knows a thing or two about fragrance and weddings. "Recollections connected with scent are very powerful due to the olfactory nerve's proximity to the part of the brain that files memories. Fragrance will often evoke a vivid memory, and this can happen even years on from the event. So why not utilise that? What could be better than being transported back to the joy of your wedding day every time you take a bath, spritz some perfume or light a candle?"

1. Match your fragrance to your personality
The first thing to consider when choosing a wedding fragrance is your personality and the types of fragrance you're naturally drawn to. For instance, are you attracted to lighter floral fragrances or is it the fresh, citrus, zesty notes that appeal to you? Think about your partners' fragrance too, it's important that your chosen scents don't clash as hopefully you'll be close to one another all day. Seasonality too might influence your decision. Lighter, fresher fragrances being more popular in summer and heavier, muskier scents coming into play when winter descends.
The easiest way to select a fragrance is to try ARRAN Sense of Scotland's Fragrance Finder, which will pair your personality with your perfect scent.

2. Road test your fragrance
Take some time to select the scent that really suits you and test it out in real life. Make sure to try it out on your skin, wear it over a week or so and see how it sits with you, along with how it changes throughout the day. Remember that fragrance can smell completely different on different people and can also subtly alter as the day goes on. Road testing will give you an idea of how long-lasting a product is too. At ARRAN Sense of Scotland, we have Discovery Sets in a range of fragrances, which you can try for only £10 before investing in a full-size product. They work brilliantly for wedding favours too!

3. Consider Scent Symbolism
Often decisions on what to include in your wedding day have a deeper meaning than because 'you just like it'. For example, you may include a favoured flower in your bouquet as a nod to a relative that's no longer here, or you may choose a particular colour because it represents something important to you. Scent too, can be used in the same way. You might choose a fragrance that reminds you of a certain event, person or place (or include notes from that perfume if you want to put your own stamp on it without matching like for like). Think about what the ingredients symbolise too. Lavender, for example primarily symbolises loyalty. Rose is associated with love, passion, affection and comfort. Grapefruit? Well that signifies gratitude. All of which would contain fabulous hidden meanings for a wedding day.

4. Layer it Up
You should layer up your wedding perfume, which is where you will use body wash, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and fragrance all in the same scent. The idea is that it will create a deeper, longer lasting bouquet that will stand the test of time. You can keep a miniature bottle or roll on of your perfume in your bag to refresh your scent after your wedding breakfast, just don't do it before so as not to ruin the taste of your food.

5. Next Level Fragrance Layering
If you're considering one of ARRAN Sense of Scotland's collections for your wedding fragrance, then opt for one that is featured across all of our products, that way you can bring in fragrance layering but you can match your own fragrance and take that signature scent throughout your venue with our scented candles, diffusers and room sprays. Spritz the invitations too before sending them out to give guests a flavour of what's to come. You can include miniatures as wedding favours too, a little luxury to go for your guests, that will transport them right back to your big day every time they use it.

6. Try Scent Scaping
Of course, you don't just have to choose one fragrance for your wedding day, you could include a range of fragrances that can be combined to compliment on another and create a 'journey of scent', throughout your venue. This is called scent-scaping and is used in some of the top hotels across the globe. ARRAN Sense of Scotland's fragrance experts can advise you on how to create your journey.

7. Choose the right way to fragrance your room
"It's not just about choosing a fragrance, but the right vessel to deliver it." says Clare. "We would recommend our 35cl Candles to scent a large space, only a few candles should fill a room with fragrance very effectively. They also help set the scene when lit, a romantic atmosphere of gently flickering flames can be magical, whilst also producing divine fragrance.
"If you prefer not to light candles then our diffusers are a perfect choice, simply rotate the reeds to activate the beautiful scent, or if it's just a quick burst of fragrance you need, a few spritzes of our Room Sprays before your guests descend will produce a delightful aroma as the enter the room."

8. Work out the ratios
"You don't need to be too precise, but you will need to consider the size of your venue in order to work out how many candles or diffusers to include. Typically, our products are used to provide long-lasting fragrance in a single room in the home, so try to estimate how many living rooms you could fit into your space and include one candle or diffuser for each 'room'."

9. Perfect positioning
"Our advice would be to walk the room when it is laid out for a similar function so you can ascertain where the best places to position the products might be. Don't put them all in a row, for instance down the centre of the aisle. It would be better to alternate them at opposite ends of rows so that everyone can enjoy the scent from where they are sitting."

10. Introduce floral notes
"It's not just candles and diffusers that can be used to fragrance a room, fresh flowers too will add another depth to your wedding fragrance. Choose those with a strong fragrance like freesia, lavender or hyacinth. Your florist should be able to find the right notes to complement the fragrance you're using throughout the rest of the room."

Top Picks for wedding fragrances would be ARRAN Sense of Scotland's signature scent - After the Rain which has notes of lime, rose and sandalwood. It's available across the largest range of products, from candles and diffusers to roller perfumes and shea butter. Shop the collection here: https://arran.com/collections/after-the-rain