Brolly Bucket

We’re so delighted to introduce you to BrollyBucket – a company who is super helpful for our unpredictable weather here in the UK because they hire lovely umbrellas for your wedding day! We had the pleasure of creating a shoot with BrollyBucket captured by Maxeen Kim Photography and we have an interview with Rosie the founder of BrollyBucket! They have even released a limited edition ‘Rose Quartz Package’ to tie in with this lovely Notting Hill shoot!

Tell us about BrollyBucket…

Here at BrollyBucket, we provide lovely umbrellas to weddings, parties and outdoor events across the UK. We have a range of smart Party Umbrellas, Classic Umbrellas with modern silver curved handles and large golf sized umbrellas perfect for the couple, guests and those in attendance to use. We also hire stylish and practical umbrella packages, which are tailored to suit weddings, the bridal party and the guests. Hires are usually placed by the couple themselves or they task the best man or their parents. We help many lovely MOB’s! We also regularly hire and work alongside wedding planners and other industry professionals such as caterers, florists and marquee and tipi companies.

What was the inspiration behind BrollyBucket?

Initially the inspiration for BrollyBucket was from a ‘need’ at my own wedding in 2010, April that year was terribly unsettled and unrelenting rain was forecast. I was unable to find what I needed and was unable to find a large quantity of good quality, good looking umbrellas at a price I could reasonably afford. I also didn’t want to be left with huge bundles of used umbrellas afterwards. Having invested in umbrellas and some beautiful stands to display them in, many of my wedding planning friends and family showed great interest in my brollies, asking to borrow them…The hire service was naturally born! We launched online in 2011 and within 24hrs were dispatching orders to London and beyond.

Having studied Art and laterally Decorative Glasswork at Art College, I quickly became fascinated with the look, form and style of brollies. The way light filters through an umbrella canopies reminds me very much of glass. I think of building a brolly package and working with the brollies, very much like I would building a piece of leaded glass work. I have lots and lots of colourful brollies hanging from the open rafters in my workshop and each day the sunlight streaming through the skylights creates magnificent shafts of colourful light.

Matching colours, forming mood boards based around colour, thinking practically to how our umbrellas could merge seamlessly into a wedding, become part of the decor as well as being functional became and still is a huge passion of mine. Cat, over at Most Curious Wedding Fair London, recently commented on Instagram “I don’t know how they do it, but @brollybucket really do make umbrellas look gorgeous and fun”

When this notification popped in, I was quite emotional with happiness. Weddings are wonderful days and momentous for everyone involved. Planning is tough, weather is such a unreliable beast and if our umbrellas can help ease some weather woes I am delighted and honoured to help.

Investing in our hire service is far more affordable than buying. Our brollies are clean, simple and matching. You can display them on your day, adding to your decor and making your guests feel catered for too! It costs guests quite a lot to attend a wedding and spending a little to protect them from a downpour, escort them in or just to have for photographs is a special touch everyone will appreciate and remember for a long time.

What are the different options available and what is your most popular request?

We hire 3 main styles of umbrella and each style is available in many colour ways. We keep our Inventory simple so clients can hire matching umbrellas but with different colour canopies if they wish. Coordinated, matching umbrellas are lovely when captured bobbing and twirling in the background of your wedding film or caught on camera by your photographer. All of our brollies are plain and are not branded in any way. In your photographs, you, your guests, your flowers are what you want to be drawn to. Umbrellas should compliment and frame the shots and ours do just that.

Our most umbrella / item to hire is our umbrella packages. Our ‘Bridal Party Package’ is much loved by many and is the perfect ‘just in case’ set as it contains 3 large umbrellas for the couple, 3 classic umbrellas which are perfect for bridesmaids and other VIP members of the bridal party. You also receive one of our Ruffle Umbrellas with is wonderful for just the bride and is always much admired with its soft frilly edge.For weddings which are packed with colour, our Summer Event package is ideal and in high demand this year. 15 coloured umbrellas displayed in our willow umbrella stands are fun, bright and add a lovely pop of colour. Your guests will love picking which colour they use! Male guests especially love this and always like to match the brolly with their socks or special tie!

Tell us about your shoot

The theme, ‘Pastel In The City’ was ideal and just the vibe I wished to highlight for this seasons soft, feminine and packed with pastel weddings. I have long dreamed of the Pastel Homes and the contrasting black wrought iron railings of Nottinghill and this was the perfect location for us. We frequently work in London and regularly hire to gorgeous venues nearby so it was great to set the shoot in an area of high interest to our clients.

This season, our Rose Pink and Lavender umbrellas have been extremely popular and are the perfect pastel accessory. In our shoot, Chloe’s sumptuous floral crown, paired with our Lavender umbrella just takes my breath away! Florals are one of my favourite elements of a wedding and usually my first question to clients when they get in touch is “tell me about your flowers” … flowers and brollies go so well together! Pulling a little pink tone from your bouquet and adding a pop of pink as your brolly looks incredible.

I recently helped a bride put together a set of umbrellas, completely inspired by her flowers. Her selection of Rose Pink, Orange, Fuchsia Pink, Grey with a little touch of white is one of my most favourite orders to date and the pairing with her loose, bouncy florals was just divine.

In the shoot, it was really important for me to capture just how beautifully and gently our umbrellas merge into your day. If you are walking to the ceremony, walking down the path at your parents home to marry outside or simply leaving your hotel you need to be covered. These sections in the day are all being documented, filmed and photographed so everything should be wedding ready and beautifully coordinated. Our bride, Chloe looks ready to walk to her venue, step into the waiting car or to meet her partner for a pre ceremony sneak peak!

Featured Contributors:
Maxeen Kim Photography