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Just Said Yes November 2018

Timeline and How to Beat the Sunset for a Fall Wedding

Taylor, on September 20, 2018 at 8:14 PM Posted in Planning 0 11

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Hi everyone,

I’m struggling to come up with a timeline that allows us to get great photos before the sun sets. My wedding is on my grandparents anniversary and it falls on a Friday two days before daylight savings. Since the wedding is on a Friday, the earliest we could do the ceremony is 5:30pm and with the ceremony approximately lasting 30 minutes, that leave us 30 minutes until sunset to get photos with the wedding party and family. We have decided to do a first look so we are able to get most of our bride/groom photos done with sunlight but I’m just struggling with the rest of the timeline and how to maximize the amount of photos we can get before the sun goes down. Please help!! Thanks so much I’m advance!

Taylor

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11 Comments

Latest activity by Dianelisse, on October 1, 2018 at 8:45 PM

October 2018
FirstTimeMOB · on September 20, 2018 at 8:27 PM
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We shifted my daughter's wedding from 5 pm to 4:30 pm just to give them a little more sunlight. Sunset on their wedding day (two weeks before clocks change) will be around 6:15pm. We went to the venue last year right around their wedding day to gauge the sunlight, and that is what pushed us to shift the ceremony 30 minutes earlier.
The key is going to be to focus on the pictures you simply must get done outdoors in sunset. Don't waste daylight doing group shots with family or others. Have a specific list of pictures you want so there is no guesswork. And have your locations picked out ahead of time, making sure they are in very close proximity to the ceremony location.
Don't waste time traveling to a spot. Don't waste time chatting after the ceremony. Appoint someone to make sure your guests know that they will see you later - during the reception - as you're fighting daylight.
Also realize that if there is any cloud cover, you will lose your daylight even faster.
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Dedicated January 2019
Megan · on September 20, 2018 at 9:33 PM
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We are getting married 1.19.19 so this was an issue for us as well. We have a very small bridal party. MOH and best man. We are actually taking all of our photos before our 530 ceremony. We are doing a first look Then a few family and wedding party photos. Since we wanted more editorial type shots versus posed formal ones this is perfect. Then we get to use cocktail hour to socialize and enjoy our wedding instead of taking photos!
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Legend November 2019
Caytlyn · on September 20, 2018 at 9:38 PM
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I would do family and most BP photos during the first look and save the sunset photos for just you and FH.
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Master November 2019
Mrs. S · on September 20, 2018 at 10:19 PM
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My wedding is in November so I pushed the ceremony back to 3 so we’d be done with photos at 4:30 and the sun sets at 5.
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VIP October 2018
Happily Ever Mrs. H · on September 21, 2018 at 8:51 AM
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My photographer showed me this app he uses that tracks the sun position according to coordinates, date, time, etc. It was SO cool. That's how he knows when to pull couples from the reception for sunset photos. There are many similar apps you can download, it's worth a try!
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Just Said Yes November 2018
Taylor · on September 21, 2018 at 8:55 AM
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I don’t necessarily need sunset photos, I just want to be able to get all of our photos with the wedding party, bride/groom, bridal party, and groomsman while there’s still sunlight lol. I just wasn’t sure if it was weird to do all of those right after the first look & before ceremony due to the lack of sunlight we will have after the ceremony.
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Expert July 2019
Hannah · on September 21, 2018 at 9:17 AM
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Since your doing a first look, can you just do all your pictures before hand? That's what we did for my FBILs wedding and it worked great!
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Just Said Yes November 2018
Taylor · on September 21, 2018 at 9:19 AM
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That’s what I was trying to see if that is something people do or not if they are on a time crunch with sunlight 😬 Thank you!!
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VIP January 2019
NVV2B · on September 21, 2018 at 11:00 AM
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Date twin!
Sunlight was a big deal for us too... it sets around 5:45 in my city, we are having our ceremony at 4pm, and we have a 25 minute drive from the church to the reception venue. I am hoping to get more of the group shots and our couples shots on the grounds at the reception venue since it is incredibly picturesque.
Ceremony ends at 4:30, take family photos in the church as quickly as possible. Then drive over to the reception space to take as many photos as possible before the sun sets.
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Devoted September 2018
2018 Bride · on September 21, 2018 at 11:46 AM
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We are doing a first look and scheduled it 3 hours before our ceremony (per our photographer's suggestion). That way we can do pictures with FH and I, bridal party photos, and immediate family photos all before the ceremony. Our ceremony is at 6:00 on Sept 29 and I believe sunset is a little after 6:30 that day. So we are just going to do some quick bigger group family shots right after the ceremony and then we'll be all done. Sounds like you can probably do something similar as long as you schedule your first look early enough.
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