The Best Time for Wedding Photos: Why Golden Hour Works So Well

I’ve been photographing weddings since 2012, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, the single biggest difference in a good and bad photo is light. You can turn up to a wedding with an amateur camera, and get decent photos. The opposite is also true. You can turn up to a wedding with a £5,000 camera that has bad light, and the photos will look like they're worse quality than those taken on the amateur camera.

This is where Golden hour comes in for your couple shots.

And golden hour is one of those times of day where the light just does you a massive favour. Golden hour is that bit of time before sunset where the sun drops lower, the light gets softer, and everything starts to feel a little less harsh. Skin tones look better, landscapes look better, and couple photos just feel a bit more relaxed without anyone having to try too hard.

Because when the light is good, we know it’s worth using.

The light is softer and more flattering

Earlier in the day, especially in summer, the sun can be a bit of a nightmare.

Dion and Hanna's Ceremony at Plas Maenan in the Midday sun. As you can see there are harsh shadows and highlights on everyones faces, especially under the eyes. The photo really tells the moment, but the harsh shadows under the eyes means you lose detail in everyone's eyes.

The problem with shooting in harsh sunlight, is you can get harsh shadows especially around the eyes causing people to squint, and bright and darl patches everywhere. It just makes everything a bit harder to work with. It’s not impossible by any means, but it’s definitely not always the easiest light.

Golden hour is different.

Because the sun being lower in the sky, the light comes in softer and warmer. It’s much more flattering, and it gives the photos that ethereal look and is at its most flattering for everyone.

Dion and Hanna, in almost the exact same spot, a few hours later during golden hour. You can see much more detail in their faces, their faces look a lot more relaxed due to it not being so bright and not having to squint their eyes.

You’ll probably feel more relaxed by then

Don't underestimate how important this one is!

By the time golden hour comes around, most of the main stuff has usually happened. The ceremony is done, the group photos are probably out of the way, you've had food and most importantly, the nerves have dropped a bit.

And this really does make a huge difference/

Some of the best couple photos happen when you’ve had a chance to settle into the day and actually breathe for a minute.

Just don't get too drunk during the toast's to make sure you're still presentable for the photos!

It gives you a few minutes together

By the time golden hour comes around, you’ve probably spent most of the day being pulled from one thing to the next. Not in a bad way, but that’s just weddings. There’s a lot going on, and it can feel like you barely get a minute to actually take it all in.

So when we sneak out for golden hour photos, it’s not just about getting nice portraits.

It’s also a chance for you both to step away for ten minutes, have a breather, and actually spend a bit of time together without everyone needing something from you.

It doesn’t need to be a big thing either. Most of the time, 10 to 15 minutes is more than enough time to get what we need. Sometimes even less, depending on the venue and where the good light is. The whole point is to work with what’s already happening and make the most of it without dragging you away from the evening for ages. A few minutes in good light can do far more than trying to force it at the wrong time of day.

It works especially well in North Wales

Golden hour works especially well in North Wales too. When you’ve got open fields, mountains, coastlines, old barns, stone walls and all that sort of thing, the light can make even the simplest spot look amazing. And quite often, the best place for photos isn’t the obvious one. It might just be a bit of light hitting a quiet corner of the venue in the right way. That’s usually what I’m looking for while everyone else is thinking about getting another drink.

That being said, because this is the UK, golden hour is definitely not guaranteed.

The weather does what it wants. The sun can disappear behind a hill earlier than expected. Sometimes the evening light just doesn’t happen the way we hoped it would.

But that doesn’t mean your photos are ruined.

A good photographer should be able to work with whatever light is there. Soft cloud can be lovely, and moodier weather can give you something completely different, but still really good.

Golden hour is a bonus. A bloody nice bonus, but still a bonus.

So, should you plan your wedding photos around it? A little bit, yes.

You don’t need to build your whole day around it, but it is worth leaving a small bit of flexibility in the evening. Speak to your photographer about sunset times and ask if there’s a good point in the day to sneak away for a few portraits, and if the light suddenly looks good and your photographer says, “Now’s probably the time,” it’s usually worth trusting them.

After photographing weddings since 2012, I can honestly say golden hour is one of the best times of day for couple portraits.