Homemade Essential Oils

Scent is perhaps the most powerful, transportive trigger of all our senses. Speaking directly to an area of the brain connected with emotional memory, new scents are often subconsciously linked to an event, a person, a thing, sometime a single moment. With most new smells encountered in our youth, a scent often vividly recalls a memory from our childhood….however we love the idea of creating a customised, signature scent all of your own, to be linked inextricably to the memory of your wedding day, and as favours for your guests to keep.

Depending on your desired end use, you will need a carrier oil and essential oils. Essential oils are potent extracts from the leaves, stems, roots, flowers and bark of plants. Their degree of difficulty to extract or produce informs their individual prices and abundance. While some, like jasmine or lavender, are safe to be applied directly to skin, most require blending with a carrier oil (unscented coconut or sweet almond are both gorgeous options if moisturising or massage is the end use!). In smaller vials, perfect for oil burners or adding a few drops to a running bath, a signature blend of pure essential oils is a beautiful option.

Choose essential oils that resonate with you, that you both love. Perhaps linked to a particular chapter in your story as a couple (is there a smell you associate with your proposal story…a place…a flower?), or a blend of essentials oils that are significant to each of you (perhaps representing different parts of the world, or different cultures that each of you come from?). Or consider creating a signature scent, an entirely new memory evocative of your wedding destination…think heady white summer florals for tropical beach weddings, or rosemary and lavender infused scents for a Tuscan wedding…

Experiment with mixing scents in small doses first (noting the exact quantities), before creating your wedding favours en masse! Then be sure to signify to guests their intended end use, via a little note or label (we recommend having your stationery provider create these). If there is a story behind the scent it could be beautiful to include that too!