The Wedding Umbrella
Rain on the wedding day is not a disaster, it is a question of preparation. A good rain umbrella saves the hair, the dress and above all the photographs, because it then appears in every second picture. Which is why it is worth not buying it two days before.
Colour: Lighter Than the Dress, Never Louder
White and ivory always work because they throw light back onto the face instead of swallowing it. In wet weather that is worth a great deal, because the sky is grey and the light is flat. A coloured canopy bleeds into the photographs quite literally: red casts pink light onto skin. If you want colour, use it for the umbrellas of your guests, not for the one of the bride.
You will find suitable models in our wedding selection.
Size: Better One for Two
A couple under two small umbrellas looks separated in photographs. One large stick umbrella for both is the better picture and practical as well, because it leaves a hand free. Look for a long handle: it lets you hold the canopy over two people without anyone having to duck.
Quantity: More Than You Think
Count on one umbrella per two guests if part of the celebration happens outdoors. Matching umbrellas in one colour look far calmer in group photographs than twenty different ones fetched from car boots.
What Matters in Real Rain
A wedding umbrella has to keep water out, not just look good. Check for a firmly tensioned canopy, clean tips at the rib ends and a shaft without a folding point. A stick umbrella takes wind better than a folding one, and the spot in front of the church is usually exactly where the wind blows.
The Most Common Mistake
An automatic umbrella nobody has tried out beforehand. Test the opening once while holding the dress or the suit, ideally with gloves on too. Many high quality models open by hand, which is the nicer movement on camera anyway. For something more playful, look at the romantic models as well.
After the Celebration
Do not leave wet umbrellas tied up in the car. Dry them open, then close them loosely. That way the umbrella stays usable for the next occasion instead of developing mildew spots.
Related categories: Designer umbrellas, Guy De Jean, Men's umbrellas. The full range: Umbrellas.
Read more: Guy de Jean: How to Recognise the Signature of the Manufactory, The Gentleman's Umbrella with a Suit: Length, Colour, Handle, Umbrella Fabrics in the Rain: Polyester, Satin and Coated Materials, Chantal Thomass: Ruffles, Lace and Silhouette in the Rain, Designer Umbrellas: Three Signatures, Three Entrances