If you've browsed wedding photography portfolios, you've seen it constantly: soft, warm, glowing light that makes ordinary moments look cinematic. That's golden hour, and it's one of the most requested — and most frequently missed — elements of wedding day planning.
What golden hour actually is
Golden hour refers to the period shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset, when the sun sits low on the horizon. The light during this window is softer and warmer than midday sun, with fewer harsh shadows — which is why it's so favored for portraits.
Why it's easy to miss
Golden hour isn't a fixed clock time — it shifts throughout the year and depends on your exact location. A wedding planned around "sunset is at 7, so we'll do portraits at 7" without accounting for the actual golden hour window can end up with the couple in a receiving line or cutting the cake at exactly the moment the light was best.
How to actually plan around it
- Look up the real sunset time for your specific date and location well in advance — it varies more across a calendar year than people expect.
- Build a specific slot into your timeline labeled for golden hour portraits, rather than hoping it lines up naturally with unstructured time.
- Talk to your photographer about whether your ceremony and reception timing naturally allows for a golden hour window, or whether it needs a deliberate adjustment.
- If your reception is indoors and your ceremony is earlier in the day, ask your photographer about stepping outside briefly during the reception to catch the window — many photographers build this in as a planned five-to-ten-minute break.
It's not the only lighting that matters
Golden hour gets the most attention, but a well-planned timeline also protects other lighting-dependent moments — natural light for getting-ready photos, and enough daylight remaining for any outdoor family formals. A photographer who's involved in building your timeline, not just receiving it, will typically flag these considerations before they become a problem.
Camrhia's shared timeline flags key moments like golden hour so both you and your photographer can plan around them together. See how it works →