Why I Created the STORIES Scent Society
A personal note from Tonya Kidd-Beggs, Founder & CEO of STORIES Parfums
Fragrance has always meant something more to me. Long before I created STORIES, scent connected me to people and places I’d never fully known, especially my grandmother, a hotelier here in Northern Ireland. Although I never met her, I grew up feeling that I did. Her favourite perfume lingered in memories shared by my mother, and somehow, that scent made me feel close to her.
That connection stayed with me.
Years later, with my youngest children growing up and needing me less, I went looking for something that would be just mine. What began as a simple search for a hobby took me to Grasse in the south of France - the heart of the fragrance world. It was there, in a small perfumery, that everything changed.
Finding What I Had Lost
At twelve years old, I experienced trauma that stole something precious: my childhood memories before that time. Though years of counselling brought real healing, I still couldn’t access those good, early memories. It wasn’t until I began working with scent that they started to return, not all at once, but gently, with every note I created.
Fragrance became the key. The catalyst. The quiet way back to myself.
I didn’t know it then, but there’s a reason this happens, a link between scent and memory that’s powerful and deeply human. I now teach about this in our gatherings, but it began as something very personal.
STORIES Parfums Was Born
What started in Grasse became the foundation for what I would build. I returned to Northern Ireland and created STORIES Parfums, a luxury, niche fragrance house rooted in my passion and personal story, shaped by reflection, emotion, and meaning. Seven years later, we’ve grown across continents, and graced the shelves in some of the worlds most prestigious retailers. We've scented remarkable people and homes - but at the heart of it all is still story.
The Scent Society
The STORIES Scent Society gatherings were born out of that same desire: to create space for others to connect through scent, and maybe reconnect with parts of themselves they’d forgotten or never fully understood.
These gatherings are personal. They’re not formal brand events. They’re intentionally small, thoughtful, and led by me, the founder, so I can share not just the fragrances, but the story behind them. And in doing so, invite you to connect with your story — past, present, and future.
They’re also a way to experience something you don’t often get: access to the inner world of a perfume house. To learn how a fragrance is built. To understand why one note moves you and another doesn’t. It’s emotional, educational, and something I hope continues to grow in reach and impact.
Looking Ahead
We’ve launched the first gatherings across Northern Ireland, and we’ll continue to expand across the region through the end of the year. In 2025-26, we begin our journey across the Republic of Ireland and the UK. And beyond that, the hope is to take this globally, to cities, towns and villages, wherever people want to gather with meaning.
An Invitation
If you're curious, you’re welcome. You don’t need to know a thing about fragrance. Just bring your story — even if you don’t know what it is yet.
We’ll discover it together.
From Tonya, with love x
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