It’s a common problem that photographers discuss: A couple plans their wedding ceremony for sunset. (Which is wonderful.) They tell their photographer they do not want to have a first look and see each other before the ceremony. (Which is perfectly fine.) And they have their heart set on portraits that look like this:The sad news is, of course, if the ceremony takes place at sunset and the couple want their portraits taken after the ceremony, photographs like this simply can’t happen.

Since our goal is always to make sure our couples are thrilled with their photographs, Danny and I have been thrilled to work with couple after couple who are willing to really think their wedding day timeline through with us (see last week’s Wedding Planning Wednesday blog post) to make sure they can get the portraits they want. Our couples have been very conscious of wanting to make use of beautiful natural daylight, whether their wedding day winds up sunshine-soaked day or rain-splashed. Natural light portraits are almost a prerequisite if a couple hopes to see their wedding published on one of the wedding blogs they love, but even more important, we think they’re essential to showcasing the couple as beautifully and naturally as possible. Sure, we love a gorgeous nighttime portrait as much as anyone else — but that isn’t the only wedding day legacy we want to leave for our couples.

So here are the time frames we suggest to couples who are serious about getting wedding day portraits that make the most of the daylight.

For couples who want to get married in the evening and not see each other before the ceremony:
Make sure the ceremony ends no less than an hour before the official sunset time, or ideally two hours before. (This makes non-Daylight-Savings-Time evening wedding ceremonies a bit more difficult for couples who don’t want a first look.) It doesn’t take hours to capture beautiful images of a couple in love basking in the last golden glow of their wedding day, but it does take a bare minimum of twenty to thirty minutes to do it effectively and allow us to give our couples a variety of looks and higher quality of portraits. Factor in the amount of time it takes to get to the desired location for the bride and groom portraits. An earlier ceremony start time means the family and bridal party portraits will be able to be shot with natural light as well.

For couples who want to get married in the evening and have a first look before the ceremony:
In many ways, first looks make a wedding day easier for the couple, and much more likely to get plenty of beautiful couple portraits. Plan for the ceremony to start about an hour to an hour and a half before sunset if the ceremony is outside, and right around sunset if the ceremony is indoors, so you can make the most of the sunset, for both portraits and an outdoor ceremony. Work backward and plan the first look approximately two-and-a-half to three hours before the ceremony time. That will leave enough time to get all the portraits — bride and groom, bridal party, and family — done before the ceremony, so there are no concerns about running out of daylight for portraits after the evening ceremony.

For couples who want to get married in the daytime:
This year, we’ve had several couples who have gotten married at midday, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. When a couple doesn’t want to have a first look and are getting married during the hottest part of the day, we frequently end up doing the couple portraits after the whole reception has ended — which usually means the temperature is a bit cooler and the light less harsh and more glowing, and the bride and groom don’t leave their guests waiting while they do their couple portraits. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with midday portraits, and first looks are frequently in those midday hours. But, schedule permitting, we like to try to get some additional portraits of the couple later in the day as well. Leaving all couple portraits until after the wedding does pose a few risks: If anything gets spilled on the bride’s gown or her hairdo falls apart, she’ll look a little less pristine than before the ceremony. But there are some definite upsides to shooting the couple portraits after the party is over, too: The bride and groom aren’t worried about time constraints or unattended guests, and they’re more relaxed and likely to simply laugh and enjoy themselves; if the timing works out just right, we’ll also be in that golden hour glow.So how do you choose the best time for each part of your wedding day based on the available light? Start with a sunset calendar. Check the official sunset time on your wedding date, and then subtract thirty minutes, and that will give you the time when the light stops being optimal for portraits (on a sunny day; overcast days will lose light a bit earlier).

But above all, talk with your photographer! Even if you have a wedding planner or friends helping you schedule your day, your photographer will be able to tell you what s/he knows will work best for your unique wedding day setup so you will get the wedding day portraits you can’t wait to frame in your home.

~ Laura