“What time should my outdoor ceremony start?”

Having an outdoor wedding and not sure what time to start the ceremony? Want the sun to be perfect and have that soft evening glow for your ceremony and wedding photos after the ceremony?

"What time should my outdoor ceremony start if I want ideal sunlight?"

Generally for outdoor ceremonies in open sunlight or in an area beneath trees, later in the day is better around 5:00pm or later in the spring/summer, and around 4:00pm when the days are shorter. The sun will be less harsh, so less squinting, and the day will be cooler for your guests as well. A few clouds creating a bit of overcast will help the harshness by diffusing the light (which photographers LOVE), so no worries if there are a few clouds!

Of course, it always depends on how the day will flow, and where the actual ceremony spot will be in relation to where the sun will shine, so be sure to discuss this with your coordinator and photographer for best results! Also keep in mind, that even if your ceremony is scheduled during a more "harsh" time of day, your photographer will often look for even shade, an area indoors, use fill flash, or even block some of the harsh sun outdoors for best light for the family/wedding party/bridal and groom portraits. If those sunset shots in that "glowy" sunlight are important to you, be sure to communicate that to your coordinator and photographer so they can schedule around that time of day to make those shots happen for you!

 xoxo

Jason + Heather

www.revivalphotography.com