The 13 Best Wedding Perfumes, According to Brides Editors

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A collection of bridal perfumes

Brides / Jill Di Donato

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.

When selecting your bridal fragrance, consider your style. Modern brides might opt for notes of orange blossom, orange rind, sandalwood, violet, and rose. “This kind of girl is bold,” says perfumer Eric Buterbaugh, who suggests this type of engaged person seek out a fragrance that’s “intense and musky.” Buterbaugh recommends classic brides invest in a floral fragrance that's “evocative of blossoms, but in the softest way.” Lily of the valley, hyacinth, tuberose, and jasmine are some fitting scents. If you favor a bohemian style, consider oud, vetiver, bergamot, and notes of citrus zest. “Oud is the new patchouli,” Buterbaugh says. “There’s something really sensual about this fragrance choice.”

Whatever your style, there's a fragrance profile that suits it perfectly. Ahead, the editors of Brides share their favorite wedding-day perfumes. These are the scents we wore to our own weddings and can't stop wearing to this day. Ahead, discover which Chanel fragrance has us obsessed and why we think Baccarat Rouge 540 is worth the splurge.

This is one of our favorite classic floral scents, and our associate commerce editorial director, Jill Di Donato, agrees. "Lychee, mimosa, rose petals, orange flower, gardenia, and marzipan musk mingle for a sensual layered fragrance that's beyond romantic."

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum

Sephora

The opening note of this intoxicating fragrance is rich coffee. It's followed by subtle vanilla and what our senior commerce editor, Kate Donovan, calls, "modern florals that are delicate and spicy."

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

Bloomingdale's

“With a mix of woody scents, floral notes, and pops of jasmine and saffron, this perfume is bright and sleek. It's perfect for a bride looking to splurge on a new fragrance and make a statement on her wedding day," says Jessica Chassin Blaser, our senior social media editor.

Bottle of perfume for your wedding

Brides / Jill Di Donato

Gucci Bloom Eau De Toilette

Gucci Bloom Eau De Toilette

Sephora

While many floral fragrances tend to be powdery, this perfume packs a punch with a dose of osmanthus for a woodier floral scent that has edge and dimension. "The floral notes are slightly musky," notes Donovan, "but subtly so."

Chanel Paris-Biarritz Eau de Toilette

Chanel Paris-Biarritz Eau de Toilette

Nordstrom

Inspired by the Basque coast, this classic lily of the valley fragrance gets a crisp twist with a splash of sea spray. "There are light citrus notes from Sicilian mandarins," says Di Donato. "The mild citrus punch adds vibrance to this classic Chanel scent."

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Nectar

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Nectar

Nordstrom

The gunpowder accord and patchouli notes in this pretty, pink perfume offer a smoky spin on floral fragrances. "There are hints of amber that make this scent complex," says Donovan.

Byredo Discovery Set Eau de Parfum

Byredo Discovery Set Eau de Parfum

Byredo

“Why choose one fragrance when you can use several different scents for every wedding-related event? Byredo's Discovery Set allows you to test out the brand's most iconic fragrances, including Bal d'Afrique, Bibliothèque, Blanche, Gypsy Water, Mojave Ghost, and Rose of No Man's Land," notes our senior fashion editor, Corinne Pierre-Louis. "This also doubles as an amazing gift for either the bride and/or wedding party.”

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell

Jo Malone

“This is my go-to fragrance for everyday life, and I love it so much that I still wore it on my wedding day," says Gabriella Rello Duffy, the senior editorial director of Brides. "I'm the type of person who finds something they love and sticks with it, so I knew this was going to be my signature wedding scent, too. Plus, bluebells symbolize everlasting love, and what's more appropriate for your wedding day than that?”

Di Donato loves the longevity of this airy scent, which she says "features florals, citrus, and slight essences of pear. The citrus keeps the scent from being treacly and delivers warmth. But I'm really drawn to the sandalwood and bergamot, which continue to balance out the profile."

AERIN Mediterranean Honeysuckle Eau de Parfum

AERIN Mediterranean Honeysuckle Eau de Parfum

Sephora

“I wore this honeysuckle, gardenia, and grapefruit-forward fragrance on my own wedding day. Think: Bloom-filled garden by the sea. It's the perfect scent for a beach wedding." says Sarah Schreiber, the associate editorial director of Brides. "Attention-grabbing, but not cloying, it's exactly right for a bride (and is something you'll spritz on well beyond the big day).”

Snif Vow Factor

Snif Vow Factor

Ulta

“Vow Factor by Snif is the perfume I have reached for all season long and have gotten endless compliments on every time," says Araziel Jackson, our social media editor. "Fruity notes, like fig and mandarin, pair with rich scents, like cedarwood, for an utterly romantic smell originally crafted as a wedding-day scent."

Byredo Blanche

Byredo Blanche

Byredo

"This floral fragrance is one of the cleanest I've experienced," notes Di Donato. "Hints of rose, peony, and violet subtly intermingle with an aldehyde hit, which soften the sweetness of the florals. Traces of sandalwood and musk give the scent dimension and a crisp woodsiness. As the name implies, there's a freshness to this scent so suiting for bridal."

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia

Nordstrom

“Yes, this fragrance does smell amazing. but that's not my favorite thing about it," notes Rello Duffy. "As editors, we look at wedding photos all day long, and there's something to be said for ensuring all of your details—right down to the perfume you spritz on during getting-ready photos—look amazing. This is the type of bottle your photographer won't ask you to tuck away during your pre-nuptial portrait session.”

Why Trust Brides

Jill Di Donato is the associate editorial director, commerce, for Brides, where she covers all things fashion and beauty. She has over 15 years experience, writing for publications like Byrdie, HuffPost, NYLON, Refinery 29, and The Los Angeles Times.

Additional reporting was provided by Hannah Morrill, a contributing writer for Brides and beauty veteran.

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