To choose a wedding perfume, start a few months ahead, narrow it down to two or three you love, and wear each on your skin for a full day — ideally a long, busy one like the wedding itself. Choose something that suits the season and the venue and that you would happily smell for twelve hours, apply it to skin rather than the dress, and keep it moderate: the people who matter most will be close. Whether you choose a new perfume to mark the day or wear your usual one is a matter of taste. A new one ties the scent to the wedding for years; a familiar one makes you feel like yourself.

New perfume or your usual one?

Smell attaches easily to moments, which is why a scent worn on one important day can bring it back for years. See Why Smells Trigger Memories.

  • A new perfume, worn first for the wedding and kept for anniversaries, becomes the scent of the day.
  • Your usual perfume is already part of how your partner and family know you. If you have a signature, wearing it may feel more natural; see How to Find Your Signature Scent.
  • A middle way: a different concentration or a new perfume in your usual family.

When to start

Begin looking two or three months before the wedding. That leaves time to sample, wear your shortlist on ordinary days, and buy without hurry. Don’t choose a new perfume in the final week: if it irritates your skin or you tire of it, there is no time to change.

Testing it properly

  1. Get samples of your shortlist rather than full bottles. See Perfume Samples and Decants.
  2. Wear each for a whole day, on skin. Notice how it smells at the start, in the afternoon and in the evening. See How to Test a Perfume Before You Buy It.
  3. Ask the people closest to you. You will soon stop noticing your own perfume, but your partner won’t.
  4. Wear it at a fitting or rehearsal, with your makeup and hair products, to make sure everything works together.

Matching the season and venue

  • Summer and outdoor weddings. Heat makes perfume louder. Lighter florals, citrus, clean musks and fresh scents usually sit better than heavy ambers. See Choosing Perfume for the Season.
  • Winter and evening. Warmer, deeper scents — soft woods, amber, vanilla — feel right in cold air and candlelight.
  • Indoors, in a small room. Choose something that stays close, or apply less.

Choose a perfume you could smell for twelve hours, not one that impresses for twelve minutes.

The dress and the day

  • Spray skin, not fabric. Some perfumes can mark delicate fabrics such as silk, especially those with colour or oil. Apply before you dress and let it dry.
  • Pick a few points — the neck, the chest, behind the ears — rather than a cloud. Embraces carry perfume. See How to Apply Perfume.
  • Moisturise first, with something unscented or matching, to help the scent last. See How to Make Perfume Last Longer.
  • Carry a small atomiser for one light refresh in the evening, rather than the whole bottle.
  • Think of the flowers. A bouquet of lilies or tuberose is itself strongly scented; a quieter perfume, or one in harmony with it, avoids a clash. See What Does Tuberose Smell Like?.

For couples

Some couples choose two perfumes that sit well together — for example, from neighbouring families — and some share one. Unisex perfumes make the second easy; see What Makes a Fragrance Unisex?. Smell them together on skin before deciding.

For guests

  • Keep it moderate. You will be close to others for hours, often indoors and at a meal.
  • Don’t compete with the couple. A recognisable, powerful perfume is better kept for another day.
  • Think of the setting, as you would for work. See How to Choose a Perfume for the Office.

Keeping the bottle

If you want the perfume to bring the day back on anniversaries, store the bottle well — closed, upright, cool and dark — and don’t keep it in a sunny bathroom. See How to Store Perfume So It Lasts. Perfume as a thank-you for the wedding party is a lovely idea too; see How to Choose Perfume as a Gift.

Common questions

Should a bride wear her usual perfume or a new one?

Either is right. A new perfume becomes the scent of the day; your usual one feels like you. Choose the one you would most like to remember.

Should I spray perfume on my wedding dress?

Better not. Perfume can mark delicate fabrics. Apply it to your skin before you dress and let it dry.

What perfume should a wedding guest wear?

Something moderate that suits the season and stays close to the skin. Avoid very strong perfumes in a crowded room or at a meal.

How far in advance should I buy a wedding perfume?

Start sampling two or three months ahead and decide at least a few weeks before, so you can wear it on ordinary days first.