After shooting hundreds of weddings in my opinion there is nothing better then natural light and the time of day that you decide to get married is really crucial in getting the best photos on your wedding day. My goal is to give you some insight on when the best time is to start your ceremony while you are planning your big day, especially if the ceremony space is outside, and you would like to get shots that you see here in this blog post as well as in my portfolio.

One of the first questions I ask a couple during a consultation is,”What is it about my photographs that you like?” Now, just to be clear I don’t ask this question to float my own boat or to feed my ego 🙂 I ask because it allows me to explain how important timing is to get these types of photos. Most couples will answer using the words…”light and airy” or “creamy and bright” and will occasionally bring up the sunlight when describing my photographs. When the sun begins to ascend or descend, and is low in the sky this is best time for photographs. This is known to the photography world as the ‘Golden Hour!’ It is amazing beautiful golden light that you only get 2 times during the day, an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset.

I recommend starting your ceremony about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before the sunsets. This will give you amazing photos during the ceremony as well as afterwards, or if you decide to do a “First Look,” with portraits before. You’re probably thinking…What about during the summer time when the sunsets at 9pm? During the summertime I would recommend trying your best to get as close to the golden hour for your ceremony as you can. Most couples that I have worked with during the summer start the ceremony at 6:00pm, about 3 hours before sunset. I recommend working into the timeline during the reception to at least do some couples portraits right before the sunsets. Be very careful during the winter time as it gets darker earlier and of course, the weather is a little bit more unpredictable.

When the sunsets is probably the last thing you would think about when planning your wedding but I hope this blog post gives you a better understanding of how important it is when you are envisioning your special day.

Everyone has a different vision for their wedding day and it is important to understand that the time you start the festivities and how the portrait timeline is important to your photographs.

If you have any questions let me know. I am here to help make your day special!

Read more resource on golden hour photography.