Create an Aromatic Experience
Brides are always looking for ways to make their weddings unique. It takes planning and creativity to provide your guests with an experience they’ll never forget, all down to the last detail… the favors they take home. If you are like me, you’ve already spent hours online searching for that perfect trinket you can offer your guests as a token of your appreciation. When I got married, I was fairly dissapointed at the options out there. I wasn’t looking forward to spending my precious budget on something they were just going to trash when the event was over. Plus, so many people are on a restrictive diet, so they’d be left out if I had gone with a yummy candy favor. If only I had known about the possibilities of essential oils.
Pure essential oils have been around forever but they are getting fad-status right now because of the availability of certified pure therapeutic grade (CPTG)oils. What’s the difference? CPTG oils are distilled directly from plants, with no synthetics or fillers. These aromatic compounds interact with our body systems to elevate our mood, strengthen our immune system and help our bodies in different ways depending on the oil or blend of pure oils. More and more people are becoming fascinated by what CPTG essential oils have to offer. The purity is revolutionizing the industry. So how does this fit in with weddings? Essential oils can create a unique experience.
I love DIY projects as much as the next girl, but for a wedding you want to keep it simple! You have enough to worry about. There are plenty of recipes for easy sugar scrubs or body butter with essential oils added. A cute label with instructions and a note about the love and which oils were added and what each oil is good for would wow your guests. There are so many great oils, it’d be fun to offer a variety. Tiny little gift boxes with samples of oils can be fun for guests to experiment with. You can find the cutest little Chinese-take-out-style boxes in various designs at Hobby Lobby or craft stores. My recommendation would be a combo of Wild Orange (for uplifting moods and you can also dab on tummy for digestive issues), respiratory blend (because it’s a crowd favorite – have an instant experience dabbing on chest to open airways), grounding blend (because we all need to feel balance and relieve anxiety – give some to whoever is footing the bill! Dab on wrists, back of neck and temples) and a sample of the soothing blend lotion (for tired muscles after dancing all night – apply on muscles, very cooling). It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
You’ve picked your wedding colors, now how about your wedding scent? One of the best ways to use essential oils is by diffusing them into the air and breathing them in. Your nose connects directly with your limbic system, the area of the brain responsible for emotions. It’s the safest way to get oils into your blood stream for overall health benefits. I recently attended an event where the host created a “breathe experience” where you walked through a passage they created with diffusers set along the path at your feet with the respiratory blend being diffused into the air. By the end of the path, I was fresh, clear and revived! I wanted to go again! I imagined an event with different oils diffusing at different times in different areas to help set the mood. For instance, I’d diffuse Frankincense (the oil of truth) and Geranium (the oil of love and connection) during the ceremony, then Wild Orange and Peppermint during the reception to uplift moods and liven people up. And I’d have the calming blend going strong wherever the kids are sitting.
To end the experience with an aromatic statement, Samantha Quinton Brown (a 2013 bride spotlighted in The One) suggests passing out dried lavender with pure lavender essential oil added for your guests to toss during your exit (dried lavender has usually lost most of its scent). You’ll have the best-smelling departure on earth. Which might be needed if your guests got sweaty and rowdy on the dance floor thanks to the Wild Orange and Peppermint!
For more information and a free consultation on how you can use essential oils for your event, contact Monica Sawyer at [email protected] or visit www.keepitessential.com.
photo via Healing In Our Homes