Recently I began to realize since most weddings begin early evening, most portraits are taken during the middle of the day. This means we totally miss what I think is the most romantic light of all-golden hour light!

I am now encouraging brides to allow five or ten minuets to capture golden hour photos of them and their grooms. Golden hour begins two hours before sunset. In the summertime in southern Indiana, golden hour occurs approximately from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. In the winter it occurs approximately from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The times varies month by month, and sometimes week by week.

Golden hour photos can be taken between the reception and ceremony, or immediately following the ceremony. It depends on the time of year. During June the sun doesn’t set before 9:00, so after the ceremony works great if your wedding begins around 5:00 pm. If you get married in November or December, golden hour occurs much earlier, so the photos would need to be taken just prior to the ceremony, or immediately following the ceremony.

Here are a few sunset photos of Matt and Andrea’s wedding. These were some of the best photos from their day, and we captured them right after the reception.

Generally you can find a nice shady place somewhere nearby the church or reception venue. The ones below were taken right beside the church where the ceremony and reception were held.

So if you are getting married this year, ask your photographer to capture sunset photos of you and your groom. Even if you only get one or two sunset photos, it is worth stepping outside for only five minutes!