I created the event (which is exclusive to Fleurage ) as an alternative to the usual 'hen's party' debauchery because not everyone wants to move into married life with alcohol poisoning, an unusual set of phalluses and an embarrassing set of photographic evidence that you wish you were still single and a teenager.
Marriage is a beautiful sacred institution where two people are willing to devote their lives to each other and no-one else. They are actually saying to the world that this other person is my life now and when you get me you get them as well. It states very clearly that "we are a team" because we love each other more than any other and the other person completes me.
Ultimately that involves leaving all else behind.
This is what the bridal shower is for. The bride is moving away from her network of sisters. This group of women who are special in the bride's life are showing their love for her, blessing the choice of life partner and giving her a send off to say goodbye.Perfume creation is the perfect way to confirm the bonds formed with those present and keep them linked even though the bride is devoting herself to her new life with her partner.
As the perfumer designing the fragrance I ask all attending to offer a description of the bride as they know her. This sets the tone of the fragrance because ultimately it is a perfume dedicated to the woman they know. I also ask them to offer wishes for the bride in her married life. From this information I get a feel for who this woman is in their eyes and how that might be represented in the scent for her. I then design the perfume formula. The key ingredients are then allotted to each woman who will be at the event. Each ingredient will represent a trait of the bride as well as a wish for her union. At the actual creation each woman adds her ingredient expressing what it means. Because each woman present contributes to the creation, whenever the bride smells the scent that is formed she can be close to them all again through the memory and she can feel their love for her. The perfume then also becomes a bottle of wishes from her closest girlfriends
This ceremony is steeped in cultural tradtions of women across the centuries and a true pleasure to be involved with as a perfumer.
