Floral Street’s Founder Breaks Down The Meaning of Your Wedding Day Scent

A “scent school” for soon-to-be-weds? In London, it’s the chic appointment that couples and their wedding parties are booking at Floral Street’s flagship store. Inside the dreamy Covent Garden location, trained “Floralistas” dressed in Giles Deacon designs teach private lessons about the meaning behind scents while guests are invited to toast a glass of bubbly and test out the new line of eco-friendly fragrances.

“We do have some brides inquire as they are specifically drawn to our sustainable values,” says founder Michelle Feeney, who created the vegan brand using natural raw materials, recyclable packing, and socially responsible practices for the team of growers who cultivate the ingredients. And for Americans who can’t make the trip across the pond before the big day, Floral Street’s nine multifaceted scents just launched this week at Sephora, with orders arriving in a compostable (or collectible!) paper box fastened with an elastic that doubles as a hair tie. It’s this kind of real-life logic that Feeney instills into every facet of the brand thanks to decades in the beauty industry working with powerhouse labels from MAC to St Tropez.

At her Bridal Scent School, she’s let the concept evolve based on the requests of her clients—and their loyal friends. “We are now having parties divulge information about the bride, the scene of the wedding, the venue, the flowers, and the theme, and this enables the Floralista to personalize the experience for the bride to be,” Feeney shares. “Many brides want to choose a memorable fragrance that they can keep in a keep-sake box forever, and we also see the groom sometimes attending with the bride to choose the scent together.”

AN INTERACTIVE SCENT SESSION

Centering around raw ingredients used in perfumery and their historical connections, the scent school covers everything from moods and emotions to favorite colors. “The bride is the focus, so the Scent School is centered around her olfactive preferences, how she wants to feel on the day, as well as setting the mood for her wedding,” says Feeney. “It does vary by personality. What we are finding is weddings have become very individual in theme, for instance Black Lotus is very rock ’n’ roll, it isn’t all about sweetness.” Though while it does vary by personality, there’s a clear winner for the majority of their bridal clientele. “The number one choice is Wonderland Peony,” says Feeney. “The brief for this fragrance was for the ‘dreamy and delicate sweet rural muse.’ Perhaps that resonates the most with the brides-to-be.”

And the experience isn’t just for couples, thanks to a rise in demand for atmospheric fragrances (perhaps because Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle both had them at their royal weddings) that guests can experience in tandem—and even take home as personalized gifts. “A beautiful scented candle on the tables can provide a scent memory for everyone who is at the wedding,” she notes. “Our Rose candles (we have White Rose and Rose Provence) have proven to be particularly popular.” As of next month, bottles, candles, and even their packaging can be personalized with the wedding date and names of the partners when ordered through Floral Street’s site.

In the meantime, Feeney and her team of Floralistas share a digital guide to the most popular scent notes and their deeper meanings:

BRIDAL FRAGRANCE MOOD BOARD:

Peony

The perfect wedding flower. Used as a symbol of a happy life and a happy marriage, health, and prosperity.

FIND IT:

Floral Street Wonderland Peony eau de parfum + Saguara Perfumes Cactus Bloom eau de parfum

Orange Blossom/Neroli

Two different essential oils, extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange tree have been used to symbolize eternal and abundant love, and fertility in life and marriage.

FIND IT:

Floral Street London Poppy eau de parfum + Moodcast Fragrance Co. Daydreamer candle