…Okay. So, by now, pretty much everyone has heard about the incredibly close link between scent, memory, and emotion. More importantly, we have all experienced it. A whiff of cinnamon and spice, and you’re a kid in your mom’s kitchen, eager to skip all that “turkey dinner” nonsense and dig in to her delicious pumpkin pie. Walking through the local botanical garden during lilac season, then suddenly, you can’t stop laughing about the time your high school prom date forgot the corsage, and tried to fumble up a replacement with flowers raided from your neighbor’s garden. You always buy the same brand of laundry detergent, because somehow, wearing a sweater that smells like Tide feels like a hug from your grandma. Basically, if you’re struck by a random memory, take a deep breath in through your nose. Chances are, that memory just floated to you - invisible, yet potent - through the air.
About a year back, one of my brides pulled out a truly beautiful bottle of perfume, and told me “This is going to be my wedding perfume. I’ll wear it today, and then every time I put it on, my husband and I will remember our wedding day.” …How utterly brilliant.
So - for an instant trip back to one of the happiest days of your lives - consider getting a special bottle of perfume or cologne (and gifting another one to your partner). Or, if perfume/cologne just isn’t your thing - add a particularly fragrant flower to the bouquets and/or boutonnières. Particularly potent (and lovely!) examples include Jasmine, Freesia, Lavender, and - of course - the classic: Rose.
Then - on anniversaries…special occasions…just whenever you want or need to be transported back in time - all you have to do is breathe.