Dear Reader,
My colors are blush and bashful // what do you mean he don’t eat no meat, that’s ok I’ll make lamb // I planned to marry Peter, but I married Jack instead // It only took three months – Twelve years and three months // Well you can’t marry someone, when you’re in love with someone else //
Wedding season. It happens every year. You’re opening your mailbox and there’s a small white envelope inside, stamped with some kind of pearly blue wax seal letting you know that yet another couple in your life has found that happily ever after. You put on an outfit you found deep within the confines of your closet and you sit through the ceremony, smiling (maybe holding back tears) before wondering if the food is going to be buffet style or sit-down service. You dance, you hug your loved ones and laugh about old times, then you watch as the couple runs off to their honeymoon in a storm of sparks, bubbles, or whatever instagrammable twist on the tradition that is currently trending. *dreamy sigh* magical we tell you.
In July we’ll be attending a few weddings of our own, and you’re coming with us! Yes, these types of wedding themed rom-coms are going to be delivered right to your inbox (sorry, Substack doesn’t support open bars or expensive floral bouquets). Our first is The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa, a sweet and surprising rom com featuring an ambitious wedding planner and the man who ruined her first trip down the aisle, her ex-fiancé’s brother.
We meet our main characters at a very –awkward moment– literally the opposite of a meet-cute. Max Hartwell, the best man, and brother of Lina Santos’ fiancé is breaking the news to her that her wedding is called off and it’s probably his fault - a drunken proclamation that he doesn’t even remember.
Jump ahead to three years later and Lina is the leading lady behind Dotting the I Dos, a thriving wedding planning business. Now she's up for a dream job as an in-house wedding coordinator for an exclusive boutique hotel. The catch? She has to compete for the job. The other catch? Her partner is (you guessed it, the worst best man) Max Hartwell. But Lina is nothing, if not a professional. So she pretends she doesn’t know who he is. And she’s going to Tim Gunn the whole thing and make it work.
Lina Santos - Last Light by Henry Rose
notes: sparks flying, fake dating, and confessions at the inn
Channel your inner wedding planner with Henry Roses’ Last Light and join Lina on a walk through the various florists in the D.C wedding scene. Beginning with irresistible notes of peach and bergamot, finish this scent with gentle wafts of jasmine and amber woods. This scent transforms on your skin no matter if you’re attending a Capoeira class or watching your family interrogate your new business partner in the basement of your mother’s shop.
Turns out . . . you can still be professional but also dish out a little revenge to your sworn enemy. The back and forth between Lina and Max gets them into some interesting situations like eating way too much cake, taking a Capoeira class, and trying to fix a broken-down car. But they both can’t deny that underneath all the quick whips and harmless pranks there are sparks.
Max Hartwell - Bergamot by Commodity
notes: sweet summer oranges and farmstead relationship therapy
Like carving out a sliver of orange peel for an old-fashioned, this scent begins with Italian bergamot and clementine oil. It transforms into blonde musks and violet leaves but not before a hint of jasmine tickles your nose. Completely unisex, this fragrance is perfect for the book boyfriends in your life that press you against a B&B door or your inner girl boss that #getsshitdone.
Being stranded in the middle of nowhere might have its perks unless it’s being stuck in a relationship class with your new business partner. Another one of our favorite tropes, truly, we might froth at the mouth over a fake dating trope. But all the faking leads us to some very real confessions and the whole narrative shifts. Things get steamy and decidedly not-just-friendly and it lands them on maybe the hottest trip to a tulip field ever.
Tulip Fields - Tuberose Tantra by Kismet Olfactive
notes: morning dew, promises, and heady floral sparks
Like sparks flying between enemies pretending to be lovers, Tuberose Tantra is playful, affectionate, and super sensual. The fragrance opens with top notes of ginger and clove, providing a subtle spice and plenty of floral vibes. The experience of smelling it is a slow burn, much like our favorite love stories. The spices are followed by the promised tuberose and a hint of jasmine. We finish with a woody mix of patchouli, sandalwood, and cashmeran.
And of course, we have to end where we began: at a wedding. Complete with confessions in a champagne toast. Now we aren’t one for spoilers but we told y’all it was wedding season didn’t we? The pacing of this rom-com is great and fits perfectly with this dual narrative and our leading man and lady’s personal story arcs.
Champagne Toast - Melrose Place by OUAI
notes: second chances, skin on skin contact, and a tall glass of bubbly
Much like the effervescence of new love and the bubbly feeling of giving your maid of honor toast at a wedding, Melrose Place starts with champagne. Other top notes round out the fizzy floral, including berries, and a kick of pink pepper. As you settle into your speech, or the arms of your new lover, the notes that greet you are floral with peony, freesia, and of course rose. And because there’s nothing like the scent of skin, the fragrance finishes with white musk, cedar, and amber notes.
The Worst Best Man dishes up genuinely likable, empathetic characters who don’t have to try hard with each other. The chemistry is natural and they make you believe a little more in happily ever after and second chances. We hope you have a champagne flute handy, filled with your favorite pop of bubbly or sparkling grape juice–and enjoy the festivities!