When Danish olfactory artist Susan Ankersen began creating scents for cultural institutions like the London Design Museum and NASA/JSC, she witnessed how quickly people connected with memory through fragrances. Years later in Los Angeles, she and creative director James Nissen transformed that insight into a brand dedicated to one of life’s biggest milestones: the wedding.

Together, the pair founded Susan James Fragrances, a studio where every perfume is blended in micro-batches and designed to act as an emotional time capsule.

The company’s guiding ethos is summed up in its tagline: Moments Magically Remembered. Unlike mass-produced perfumes, each formula is composed by hand in the Los Angeles studio. Ankersen draws on years of experience working with rare essential oils and modern molecules, while Nissen applies his publishing and design background to ensure that packaging feels as thoughtful as the fragrances themselves.

Much of their process is shared on Instagram, where couples and planners are offered a glimpse into the detailed craftsmanship behind every scent. Transparency, paired with artistry, has helped the brand carve out a distinct identity within the luxury wedding space.

The founders often describe their approach as “slow fragrance.” Draft formulas are tested at low concentrations, refined over months, and only then finalized. Each step, from dilution to filtration to bottling and personalization, is handled with care.

For Ankersen and Nissen, perfume is not simply a product but a form of storytelling. Every wedding, they believe, has its own rhythm and atmosphere, and their role is to capture that feeling in a bottle so couples can relive it for decades.

This artisanal method has attracted the attention of planners, makeup artists, and photographers who recognize fragrance as a way to elevate a wedding beyond visuals. The company also shares collaborations and thought leadership on LinkedIn, highlighting its role as both a creative studio and a professional partner within the events industry.

Understanding how younger couples discover and shop for wedding ideas, Susan James Fragrances has embraced emerging platforms like TikTok to share its vision. The studio hosts live sessions that let newly engaged couples explore scent in real time, ask questions, and connect directly with the founders. It’s an extension of their belief in accessibility and community, meeting people where they are and making the journey toward a wedding fragrance feel exciting rather than intimidating.

Although still a young company, Susan James Fragrances has a clear vision: to redefine how weddings are remembered. By blending artistry with meticulous care, the founders are introducing a new tradition—one where fragrance stands alongside flowers, photography, and music as a central part of the celebration.

For couples, this means more than acquiring a perfume. It offers an heirloom, one that holds the butterflies, the laughter, and the intimacy of the day, all recalled with a single breath.