The Big Decision : Wedding Day Perfume

Last year you helped Patricia pick a perfume for her daughter’s wedding. Today she reveals the bride’s choice.

The venue and caterer had been booked months before, the flowers selected, and the dress chosen and on order. The musicians had been given their sheet music to learn, the photographer and videographer lined up, and the bridesmaids (her closest high school friends, his sister) and maid of honor (her sister) had saved the date. But one decision still loomed large: which perfume would my daughter wear on her wedding day? I had promised that the bottle of her choice would be delivered well before the date of the ceremony.

wedding1

In search of good perfume ideas, I proposed the question to my friends here at Bois de Jasmin in one of our Recommend Me a Perfume threads and received many thoughtful suggestions ranging from dusky roses to light white florals. Since at that time my daughter lived halfway across the country, I lovingly prepared a box of samples to send to her, based both on what I could decant from my collection and gather from the list of recommended perfumes.

Although my daughter enjoyed going through and sampling the contents of the box, she ultimately selected a perfume that hadn’t been included: Côte d’Azur by Oribe, a high-end hair care line known for its lovely smelling products. Côte d’Azur, an eau de parfum composed by Jérôme Epinette and Pierre Wulff, is a citrus floral with some woodsy notes in its base. It opens with the crispness of a lime gimlet, straight up with a twist of orange peel and jasmine. Although it doesn’t have much projection and is linear in form, it is well blended and lasts a good four to six hours on the skin.

I hugged my daughter often during the evening and in spite of many hours of active dancing, still got a delicious blend of creamy jasmine and tuberose wafting up. Since a bride gives a good many hugs on her wedding day, big sillage isn’t important, or even desired, but a skin scent with good lasting power is, and Côte d’Azur fit the bill perfectly. As always, I admired my daughter’s good judgment in all things by going with a perfume that was uniquely suited to her.

wedding2aoribe

Since this perfume is relatively unknown and moves a bit under the radar, for purposes of description I went through several bottles and samples in my own collection to see if I could find a near match. Chanel’s Cristalle Eau Verte, though green and floral, was missing the orange notes. Thé pour un Été by L’Artisan Parfumeur had an unmistakable addition of mint. Mandarine Glacial by Atelier Cologne contained a ginger note, and Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert had additional spicy notes of cardamom and coriander. The closest I could find to the Oribe was Aqua Universalis by Maison Francis Kurkdjian, which had a similar citrus base. However, Côte d’Azur is sweeter, more floral, and cleaner with no noticeable musk.

Ever practical, my daughter now wears Côte d’Azur to work. It has the benefit of being quiet enough for the conference room, while still being pretty and feminine. In a sense, she brings her wedding day with her into her daily life.

wedding3

As my husband said in his toast to the bride and groom, a wedding celebrates the joining together of a new family. We celebrated this on a sunny day in Minneapolis last fall with family and friends and with all of our senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. And of course, with our hearts.

Côte d’Azur Eau de Parfum includes notes of lemon, black currant, bergamot, orange, tuberose, cyclamen, jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver and amber. It can be found at selected salons and at Neiman Marcus and Net-a-Porter.

Photos courtesy of Tyler Kaschke

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61 Comments

  • Cornelia Blimber: Congratulations, Patricia! The new couple looks so happy, really beaming with joy.
    Which perfume did you wear? June 6, 2016 at 8:21am Reply

    • Patricia: That’s a funny story, Cornelia. I knew well in advance of the day that I would wear Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere, which seemed to me the ideal fragrance for the mother of the bride. But in the haste of makeup, hair, and various other preparations, I forgot to put it on! No worries, I just wore it to the wedding brunch the next morning. 🙂 June 6, 2016 at 11:42am Reply

      • Hamamelis: Lovely little perfumista story. Glad you could wear it the next day! June 6, 2016 at 11:47am Reply

        • Patricia: I wore Lyric Woman for the rehearsal dinner. (I did remember to put that one on!)

          I can’t even remember what I had originally planned on wearing to the day after brunch. June 6, 2016 at 11:51am Reply

          • Cornelia Blimber: Funny indeed! The happiness of bride and groom is more important than Chanel, although a perfumista forgetting her perfume is
            a curious event! June 6, 2016 at 12:01pm Reply

            • Patricia: I know! It shows just how rattled I was that day. June 6, 2016 at 4:43pm Reply

              • Michaela: Funny indeed, the emotions must have been overwhelming 🙂 June 7, 2016 at 3:21am Reply

      • Elisa: Oh how funny. Congrats Pat — looks like your daughter and the ceremony were both gorgeous. Wish we had a picture of your get-up too! 🙂 June 6, 2016 at 12:23pm Reply

        • Patricia: Thanks, Elisa! I wore an ice blue brocade cocktail suit with a peplum jacket and silver accessories. June 6, 2016 at 4:46pm Reply

  • Sapphire: What a beautiful bride and happy-looking couple! I know you are very proud. June 6, 2016 at 8:28am Reply

    • Patricia: So proud and so happy for my daughter and son-in-law. June 6, 2016 at 11:43am Reply

  • Hamamelis: Beautiful choice! Did you wear No 5 Eau Premiere? Thank you for the update! June 6, 2016 at 8:58am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you! (see my response to Cornelia above) June 6, 2016 at 11:43am Reply

  • Jillie: What a charming, uplifting post to read. A beautiful occasion and lovely photos. Lots of good wishes to the bride and groom. June 6, 2016 at 9:34am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you so much, Jillie! June 6, 2016 at 11:43am Reply

  • Michaela: Congratulations!

    A charming post, thank you! I like how you describe and compare her perfume, so we can make an idea. Excellent choice, especially she can wear it any day.
    The wedding itself must have been a wonderful celebration. All the good wishes for the new family! June 6, 2016 at 10:32am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, Michaela. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I couldn’t stop smiling. June 6, 2016 at 11:44am Reply

  • Karen A: Wonderful post! Thank you for sharing – the photos are lovely,! And fun to learn about a new fragrance. I am sure your daughter had a lot of fun deciding. June 6, 2016 at 10:36am Reply

    • Patricia: I think she did have fun with the selection process. Whenever she comes to visit, I always send her home with something to sample 🙂 . June 6, 2016 at 11:46am Reply

  • Neva: Congratulations to the whole family! I remember this question from the old posts and somehow forgot about it so it’s really nice of you to give us a feedback with those lovely photos. It looks like a very beautiful wedding. June 6, 2016 at 10:43am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, Neva! We were so lucky with the weather. The weather in Minneapolis can be iffy at best. June 6, 2016 at 11:47am Reply

  • spe: How beautiful – the couple, the story, and a sunny, fall day in Minneapolis, and the perfectly unique perfume for a gorgeous bride!

    I’ve seen this scent. It’s at a high end store in the neighborhood. I haven’t sniffed it yet but the bottle is gorgeous!

    Thank you for sharing the story. June 6, 2016 at 11:24am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, spe. My older daughter (to the left of the bride) is engaged, so perhaps I’ll have another wedding story soon! June 6, 2016 at 11:49am Reply

  • DelRae: congratulations. Lovely couple. June 6, 2016 at 11:55am Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, DelRae :). June 6, 2016 at 11:58am Reply

  • Claire: This was a lovely story, and gave great suggestions to future brides as well. I wore Jean Patou’s Sublime on my wedding day, and I always think about my wedding whenever it wear it. It’s like a special secret I have with M. Patou. June 6, 2016 at 12:07pm Reply

    • Patricia: I’m not even sure what fragrance I wore to my own wedding, but it was probably Miss Dior, since it was the one I saved for special occasions at that time. June 6, 2016 at 4:49pm Reply

  • Phyllis Iervello: Congratulations! June 6, 2016 at 12:10pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you! June 6, 2016 at 4:51pm Reply

  • Alicia: Lovely bride, happy groom, very joyful mother…That is perfection. Much happiness to the new couple!
    Oribe Cote d’Azur reminded me of D&G Light Blue and also of Lanvin Eclat d’Arpege. A modern, feminine fragrance, ideal for young ladies. June 6, 2016 at 1:00pm Reply

    • Patricia: I agree, although I never cared much for Light Blue and I find Côte d’Azur very nice, and as you say, quite appropriate for young ladies.

      Thanks for the good wishes! June 6, 2016 at 4:53pm Reply

  • Aurora: Thank you Pat for inviting us to share in that memorable occasion. What a pretty bouquet, wonderful looking venue good looking bride and groom. It is too funny you forgot about scent on the day, as the mother of the bride you must have had so many other things to think of. June 6, 2016 at 1:21pm Reply

    • Patricia: I really had nothing to think about, since the bridal couple planned everything! So I really have no excuse other than excessive happiness. 🙂 June 6, 2016 at 4:55pm Reply

  • rosarita: Thanks for sharing that lovely experience! Congratulations to all 🙂 June 6, 2016 at 2:14pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, rosarita! June 6, 2016 at 4:56pm Reply

  • Mia: Thank you so much for sharing this; all the info has been enthusiastically waited for 😃.
    Congratulations to your whole lovely smelling family! June 6, 2016 at 2:26pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, Mia. I don’t remember if my husband wore any cologne that day, but he actually had duties to perform: walking the bride down the aisle and giving the toast to the new couple during dinner. So if he forgot, he at least has excuses for his poor memory! June 6, 2016 at 5:00pm Reply

      • Victoria: Weddings are like this. 🙂

        Best wishes to your daughter and her husband! They look so beautiful and happy in the photos you shared. June 7, 2016 at 4:35am Reply

        • Patricia: Thank you, Victoria. My daughter never stopped smiling. I’ve never seen a happier bride. 🙂 June 7, 2016 at 9:02am Reply

          • Mia: I can see that – and happiness also smells good, with or without fragrances! June 7, 2016 at 2:42pm Reply

            • Patricia: Yes, it does! June 7, 2016 at 4:55pm Reply

  • Kate: Your daughter looks beautiful. Best wishes to them for a long, healthy, happy life together. June 6, 2016 at 5:34pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you so much, Kate! June 6, 2016 at 7:01pm Reply

  • Peter mcmanmon: I don’t know about the fragrances but the wedding was terrific. June 6, 2016 at 7:31pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thanks, Peter, It was great having you there! June 7, 2016 at 8:56am Reply

  • Austenfan: What a surprise ending to this post. Good for her for choosing what she really felt comfortable with. You must have been very proud! June 7, 2016 at 4:34am Reply

    • Patricia: She’s made a lot of good decisions lately 🙂 . June 7, 2016 at 8:59am Reply

  • Notturno7: Congratulations to the beautiful couple and the family! Photos are lovely 💜 June 7, 2016 at 5:46am Reply

    • Patricia: I’m enjoying sharing the wedding with my BdJ family! Thank you for your kind comments. June 7, 2016 at 9:00am Reply

  • kayliz: Oh, what a beautiful-looking couple, and more importantly: they both look so very happy. Congratulations to you all, Patricia!

    It’s a while ago now (April?) but I’d still be delighted to pass on a sample of PG’s Myrrhiad, if you’re still interested – the name is kay dot henn and the address freenet dot de (Germany). June 7, 2016 at 5:18pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, kayliz! I found some Myrrhiad locally, but thanks so much for the offer. 🙂 June 7, 2016 at 5:38pm Reply

  • kayliz: P.S. Those roses… I always thought roses were at their best simply with other roses, but whoever put these beautiful roses together with these very few leaves and berries (and blossoms?) is a bouquet-arranging genius! June 7, 2016 at 5:25pm Reply

  • Patricia: I was fortunate to have been in Minneapolis when my daughter met with the florist. She had a book full of gorgeous pictures to look at and was willing to work within our budget. 🙂

    The table centerpieces were lovely, too. My daughter found lanterns at a discount place, and the florist used the same flowers used in the bouquets around them. June 7, 2016 at 5:51pm Reply

  • kayliz: Wonderful florist! I was fully expecting you to say a family member who was a florist had done it.
    Myrrhiad: just in case it didn’t strike you as remarkable, do save the sample for cold weather:)
    (I wouldn’t want to be without it in autumn and winter but can’t take it in summer.) June 7, 2016 at 7:19pm Reply

    • Patricia: I will retry my sample in the fall. It was a bit overwhelming for the warmer weather. Thanks for the tip! June 8, 2016 at 7:47am Reply

  • Kate: Congrats to the happy couple! Minneapolis is really such an underrated city. June 7, 2016 at 8:32pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thanks, Kate! My daughter had several happy years there (and met her husband there), but they now live closer to us. 🙂 June 8, 2016 at 7:51am Reply

  • Mel: What a wonderful and moving tribute to your beautiful daughter and her wedding day. June 8, 2016 at 10:54pm Reply

    • Patricia: Thank you, Mel. That means a lot to me 🙂 . June 9, 2016 at 9:55am Reply

  • Lifestyle Lodestar: Wedding Day perfume is something that plays on my mind a lot at the moment, even though it might not seem like the most important decision of the event, for many perfume lovers its a really special way to continue remembering the day. Currently leaning towards Shalimar Souffle de Parfum, a lighter but still floral and spicy version of the Shalimar perfume. Loved Patricia’s story and hope to find something just as special and personalised for myself… June 9, 2016 at 6:00am Reply

    • Patricia: Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and please let us know which perfume you decide to wear! June 10, 2016 at 11:03am Reply

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