Have a Pretty Bridal Umbrella on Hand at Your Wedding
If you are planning an outdoor wedding, you may want a few wedding umbrellas available for you and your guests, just in case it starts to rain. But having an umbrella at the wedding doesn’t mean that nature will be raining on your parade. Your wedding can still be fun and memorable and that beautiful dress can stay dry with your bridal umbrella!
Umbrellas and parasols are very similar. Now, unlike a wedding parasol which protects one from the sun or is just a pretty accessory, a wedding umbrella or bridal umbrella protects you from rain (though sometimes very small ones, like umbrella wedding favors, are used as decorations or centerpieces). Don’t worry though about having stodgy black umbrellas at your ceremony. You will find that your options run the gamut and many are a lot fancier than the regular rainy day variety.
Every Umbrella Under the Sun
Umbrellas for a wedding come in lots of colors and styles, generally have nicer handles and can look festive even in the gloom of a rainy day.
Sizes – They can be large enough to shelter 2 people or even 3 people. A 20″ model is like the one carried by a circus clown while a 34″ umbrella may be decorated with ribbons and lace for bridal showers or bridesmaids’ parasols or used by a small child. A 42″ type is the standard size you use when going out in the rain – this size is great for your parents or wedding guests and can also be used as a parasol to shade them from the sun.
The larger umbrellas for weddings, like the 60″ models, are 60″ or a full 5 feet across when open. These are sometimes called a golf umbrella. They work well to shelter the groom and the bride in her gown from the rain or the sun. An even larger size umbrella exists called a “doorman” umbrella at 68″ across, but you shouldn’t need one that big. The 48″ umbrellas are larger than the standard size, and wonderful for two bridesmaids in their gowns.
Shapes and Styles – A traditional rain umbrella is very gently scalloped between the ends of the ribs. A pagoda style has a more pronounced point in its design at the top center, with shallow or deep arcs between the ends of the ribs. A ruffled style will have extra fabric or lace creating a very feminine effect. Typical styles can be either 8 panel or 16 panel, which counts the number of material panels and the number of ribs. Vintage umbrellas may be desired if the wedding has a vintage or Victorian theme.
Handles can be wood, plastic or even jeweled as well as straight or curved.
Colors and Designs – A white umbrella is not the only type of option you have. Umbrellas that are available for a wedding can be so many colors: bridal like hues: white, ivory, champagne, bold colors like red and navy, wedding pastels: pink, purple, lavender, fuchsia. And the colors need not be solids. Prints as well as clear domed with white trim can be found. Some couples select a fleur de lis motif on the alternating panels in gold, silver or white.
Fabrics – Satin, Water repellent Cloth, Polyester, Lace. Some may have a self-fabric edge ruffle using the same fabric as the umbrella.
Customized and Personalized – Who would think that a wedding umbrella can be customized? Well your wedding umbrellas can be custom ordered with personalization on the handles and on the canopy! … Think images as well as printing bride’s/groom’s names, wedding date, special messages, wedding themes. The umbrella handle can be custom printed or laser etched.
Using Your Wedding Umbrellas
On your wedding day, place a few wedding umbrellas in an umbrella stand or an attractive bucket for guests that may have left theirs at home. If a rain shower happens during the ceremony, have the bride’s father or escort hold one for them as she traverses the aisle. Then arrange for the best man to hold an umbrella over the bride and groom at the altar spot and another wedding party attendant to hold an umbrella over the officiant.
If you want, you can have enough umbrellas for every guest to use and then take home as a wedding favor memento of your special day. Even if you want to have a few on hand for a change in weather, you can buy the ones for your guests or look into wedding umbrella rentals for those extra ones.
Consider giving these fun umbrellas as gifts for the groomsmen & bridesmaids, Be sure to stage some photographs with the bridal party posed with their unique umbrellas.
Where Can I Buy a Wedding Umbrella?
The internet is a great place to find the perfect wedding umbrellas for sale in a wide assortment of colors, styles, sizes and price. And have a marvelous day, rain or shine!
