Sun-kissed Wedding – When is the best time to have your wedding ceremony?

Sun-kissed WeddingSun-kissed Wedding – When is the best time to have your wedding ceremony?

I am often asked by couples when I would recommend they have their wedding ceremony. So, I thought I would share my answer here to hopefully be helpful to more couples planning their big day!

Before I start… I would like to say that this is just my opinion of when I think is best to have a wedding ceremony to achieve a sun-kissed glow. With that said, I feel completely comfortable shooting a wedding at any time of day. However, to get sun-kissed wedding images like the ones below it’s best to have a ceremony within a few hours of the sun rising or a few hours before it sets.

In photography, the golden hour (sometimes known as magic hour) is a period shortly after sunrise or before sunset during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky. During this time the rays of sunlight come from the side instead of shining above. When this happens it produces a stunning glow that I like to call sun-kissed!

The most magical time is typically the hour after the sun rises and the hour before it sets. However, for a wedding you always want to be careful since timelines can be pushed back and you don’t want to cut it too close. Also, if formal photos are taking place after the ceremony you will want plenty of time for this.

So, if the sun is going to set around 8pm – I would recommend a ceremony around 5 or 6 PM. If formal photos are to follow the ceremony then they would take place close to the golden hour… The most magically enchanted time of day!

Sun-kissed-Wedding-1

Another suggestion that I usually give couples who have a ceremony in the middle of the day is that we head back outside closer to sunset to take some more photos of them. They typically like break from mingling and jump at the opportunity for a few minutes alone. Plus the sunset in the mountains is an awfully romantic setting!


Click here for more helpful planning tips for an Estes Park weddings!!

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