One small thing I’m glad I did on my wedding day…

What instantly transports you back into a cherished memory?

Seeing a photo or video can bring a smile to my face and tug on my heartstrings. Hearing a song or familiar refrain can wrap me in a nostalgic reverie. But smelling a specific scent has the ability to throw me back to that exact time and place – like magic.

That’s why I’m so glad I decided to pick a new perfume for my wedding day. In fact, Azim and I both chose new fragrances, and we did it in a very special way.

We were in Sweden a few months before we got married to attend the wedding of our good friends that I met while studying abroad :) Azim and I love to travel, and this trip was particularly enjoyable – in addition to the beautiful nuptials, it was Azim’s first time in Stockholm and he was enamored. Enough so that we actually toyed with the idea of moving there temporarily before COVID changed our (and the entire world’s) plans.

While we were in Stockholm, we stopped into Byredo, a Swedish brand that makes truly unique fragrances. We tried on a few for fun and decided to pick up a new one each as wedding presents to each other. The first time we wore them was on our wedding day.

The “getting ready” process for brides is one of the oldest traditions in any society, so everything I did held weight for me. I loved having my closest girlfriends with me and had so much fun seeing my mom and grandma get their makeup done professionally for the first time. I took great care in putting on my jewellery and ensuring every hair was in place. And then I applied my new perfume for the first time.

The scent lasted through every giddy moment – from holding hands in a circle with my bridal party, hidden from the assembled guests in the chapel at Hart House, down the aisle as I walked towards my best friend to exchange vows, through the outfit changes and sweaty dancing, and finally crashing into bed with a big mac and fries :)

I rarely wear perfume anymore, and I only pull out Mojave Ghost randomly here and there. Whenever I wear it, I feel like I’m right back in that happy day when I felt so celebrated and loved.

I highly recommend treating yourself to a new fragrance to celebrate a momentous occasion (any momentous occasion ;)). Lock that memory in with scent and treasure it often.