If you're planning an outdoor ceremony between May and September, parasols stop being decor and start being infrastructure. A guest sitting in direct sun for a 25-minute ceremony is a guest thinking about the sun, not about you.
The question we get most often is the simplest one: how many do I actually need? Below are the counts, by guest list size, along with the reasoning so you can adjust for your own venue.
The short answer
Order parasols for 60% of your guest count, rounded up to the nearest pack. Then add one per bridal party member for photos.
That 60% figure isn't arbitrary. Couples share. Roughly a third of your guests will arrive as pairs and will happily sit under one parasol. Another slice will be seated in whatever shade your venue already has — under a tree, beneath an arbor, on the covered side of a patio. Ordering one per guest means paying for parasols that sit in a basket all afternoon.
Counts by guest list
| Guests | Ceremony parasols (60%) | Bridal party | Recommended order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 30 | 6 | 36 |
| 100 | 60 | 8 | 68 |
| 150 | 90 | 10 | 100 |
| 200 | 120 | 12 | 132 |
Three situations push you toward one-per-guest instead of 60%:
Your ceremony starts between 12pm and 3pm. Peak sun, no mercy. Order one per guest.
Your venue has zero natural shade. Vineyards, beaches, and rooftop terraces are the usual suspects. Walk the site at the hour your ceremony begins, not at the hour you tour it.
Your guest list skews older. Heat tolerance drops with age, and older guests are far less likely to ask for a parasol they didn't get handed.
Conversely, if your ceremony is after 5pm or your venue is genuinely shaded, 40% is often plenty.
Which size goes where
Parasols aren't interchangeable. The size determines the job.
32 inches — guest seating. This is the workhorse. Wide enough to shade a seated adult's head and shoulders, light enough that nobody's arm gets tired holding it. If you order one size, order this one.
Our 32" White Nylon Parasol ($13.50) is what we'd point most couples toward this summer. Nylon handles a breeze better than paper and won't crease if it gets bumped in transit — which matters when you're shipping 100 of something across the country and stacking them in a car. It's also the one we have deepest, so a last-minute add-on order won't leave you short.
If you want the paper look specifically, the 32" White Paper Parasol with Scallop Blossom Edge ($11.95) has a softer silhouette in photos, and the 32" White Paper Parasol with Elegant Handle ($11.95) is the classic long-handle shape.
28 inches — the aisle and the arch. Slightly smaller, which reads better when parasols are decor rather than shade. Tie them open along the aisle, or cluster three at different heights behind the ceremony arch. The 28" White Paper Parasol with Long Elegant Handle ($10.95) is sized for this.
20 inches — kids. A 32" parasol in a six-year-old's hand is a weapon. The 20" White Paper Parasol ($6.95) is proportioned for children and, incidentally, is what most couples use for the flower girl.
What most couples get wrong
They order the week of. Parasols are hand-crafted and inspected before they ship, and white is the color everyone wants in July. We regularly sell out of specific white SKUs in peak season. Order three to four weeks out.
They forget the basket. Parasols left on chairs get sat on. Put them in two large baskets at the entrance with a small sign — Take one, it's hot out there — and let guests self-serve.
They don't open them before the ceremony. A parasol that's been folded in a box for two weeks needs about ten seconds of gentle persuasion. Have someone open every single one the morning of. Guests will not do this for themselves; they'll fan themselves with the program instead.
They buy one color. All-white is beautiful and it is also a lot of white in a photo. Ordering 10-15% of your count in a soft accent — beige, rose quartz, serenity blue — gives your photographer something to compose around without looking like a themed party.
A note on ordering in bulk
For counts above 50 you'll be ordering multi-packs, and it's worth checking the math yourself. Right now our 6-packs and 10-packs are priced at the single-unit rate times the quantity — you're paying for the convenience of one line item, not for a volume discount. If you're ordering 100 parasols, singles and packs cost the same. Order whichever is easier to receive.
Free shipping kicks in above $99, which almost any wedding-scale order clears.
The fast version
- Multiply your guest count by 0.6. Round up to a whole pack.
- Add one parasol per bridal party member.
- Use 32" for guests, 28" for decor, 20" for kids.
- Order three to four weeks out. White sells out first.
- Open every parasol the morning of.
Frequently asked questions
How many parasols do I need for 100 wedding guests?
About 68 — 60 for guests (60% of your count, since couples share and some seats are already shaded) plus roughly 8 for your bridal party. If your ceremony falls between noon and 3pm or your venue has no natural shade, order one per guest instead.
What size parasol is best for a wedding?
32 inches for guest seating. It shades a seated adult's head and shoulders without being heavy to hold. Use 28" parasols for aisle and arch decor, and 20" for children.
Are paper or nylon parasols better for an outdoor wedding?
Nylon holds up better in wind and won't crease if it's bumped in transit, which makes it the safer choice for large orders shipped long distances. Paper has a softer, more traditional look in photographs. Both block sun equally well.
How far in advance should I order wedding parasols?
Three to four weeks. Parasols are hand-crafted and inspected before shipping, and white sells out first during peak wedding season (May through September).
Do parasols actually keep guests cool?
They block direct sun, which is most of the perceived heat during a short outdoor ceremony. They don't lower air temperature. For ceremonies over 30 minutes in high heat, pair them with water service.
