Hey all, It was Jin’s and my Wedding Anniversary at the end of June and we completely forgot. It wasn’t till about 8pm when a friend sent a 7 year congratulations text that we realized. No biggie, we don’t really celebrate major events, preferring to celebrate every day as a heartily endorsed continued commitment. Not every day, sometimes it’s less than perfect. Rarely, but it happens. Anyway, that got me thinking about our wedding and that most important of selections. Our wedding perfume choices.
Wedding Perfume Choices
Here we are cutting our wedding cake, made lovingly by a friend Sue. Could Jin be any more adorable? What a spunk he is.
So, though I’ve shared this before, these are the fragrances we wore for our wedding day. We are both very close with Neela Vermeire and her husband Tony. It all started because her perfumes were so unbelievably amazing. I had to know this amazing creative director. From that small kernel a friendship was born. We both wanted to smell gorgeous, but also distinctive. It had to be something we loved but also would stand he test of time as a memory scent.
Jin
At the time Jin had three seriously signature scents up for the role. Bottega Veneta EdP, CHANEL Anteaus, and Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling. Yeah, he has really excellent taste. They all smell killer on him. I’m pretty sure we didn’t discuss our wedding perfume choices beyond top three contenders. In the week leadup Jin was in our apartment with his family. Apparently it was happy bedlam. So final fragrant choices were a surprise. I was pretty sure he was going to choose Bottega Veneta EdP because on our first international holiday in 2013 Seoul Airport had a stand selling it for US$35/75ml. I was going to buy myself a couple of bottles but Jin decided it was his perfect scent and grabbed himself some. To be fair it smelled unbelievably gorgeous on him.
On the day as we arrived at the venue (separately) I knew he’d gone in another direction. Bombay Bling got the gong. He had obviously spritzed over an hour beforehand because most of the pine/mango fruitiness had descended to a tobacco rich floral patchouli. HEAVEN! He wanted something bright and springlike, a fragrance that would smell like a new beginning, robust and hefty but fun.
Portia
My wedding perfume choices were a bit more fraught, with such a large inventory and so many of them already memory scents. One of the first decisions I made was that all previously important memory scents were immediately disqualified. That took a slew of the designers like Guerlain Shalimar and Mitsouko, CHANEL No 5 and Coco, DIOR Granville, Mitzah and Miss Dior, JPG Le Male, Aramis, Ralph Lauren Safari and Gucci Envy Men out of contention. It also made Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka and mohair, Miller et Bertaux A Quiet Morning, Teo Cabanel Alahine, Divine EdP and both Parfum d’Empire Ambre Russe and Cuir Ottoman ineligible.
In my final three were DIOR Patchouli Imperial (released earlier 2018, so new acquisition), Neela Vermeire Creations Rahele and Parfumerie Generale Ambre Ceruleen.
Even though it was a rainy winter day I wanted to at least have a whisper of the traditional white floral that is so often the choice for weddings but I also wanted my wedding perfume choice to have quiet interest and a story. It needed to be a bit player, not the star. Something quietly beautiful that wouldn’t interfere with our day or take any of my attention during it. So the gong went to Rahele. A superbly crafted beauty with a spicy green opening that travels through osmanthus-heavy floral bouquet to leathery chypre dry down.
Rahele also translates in English to “one who travels”. Fairly apt description of me. While Rahele is present, it doesn’t overwhelm or intrude. Lasting power is fabulous and it gives me a little jolt of low key happiness whenever I get a huff. It is now my most worn NVC by far and every time I spritz the happy memory of our wedding returns.
What was your wedding perfume choice, or what do you hope it to be? What would you choose now if you had the choice over?
Portia xx
What a lovely read. I remember your weddingday from the AJP days, but 7 years ago is much longer than I thought it would be. NVC may be my favourite house and so fitting you both chose to wear perfume from her creations. I married quite a while ago, 26 years now (I always forget the date it is no biggie for us either) long before falling in the rabbit hole. I did wear perfume as an afterthought in those days, so I may have worn Ralph Lauren Romance. If I were to marry today I would wear Eshal or Mohur Extrait.