Maximising Your Chances of Getting Sunset Wedding Photographs

Sunsets are very special and so are wedding photographs of a bride and groom at sunset, sadly they are surprisingly difficult to achieve. So many things have to be right to be able to get one and it is not helped by the fact that they are difficult to predict and they can sometimes only last moments. But the more you understand about sunsets and evening skies, the more you may be able to plan to maximise evening sky photo-opportunities at your wedding.

The above photograph was taken after we'd said goodbye to everyone and were packing our cameras away in the car park when we saw this amazing sky. The bride and groom were having a great time dancing with their guests.

We popped back in with apologies and mentioned that, if they were interested, there was a lovely sunset. Their guests encouraged them to go out and get the photographs. We unpacked the cameras and five minutes later we had taken this photograph. Ten minutes later and the sky had gone a dull blue with no evidence that there'd ever been a sunset.

There are lots of different sorts of sunsets. The one above is where the sun has gone down but is still reflecting its colour onto the evening clouds. It makes for a rich red colour reflected in the clouds but only lasts moments.

With this sunset the sun was still in the sky, bursting its golden light through newly formed holes in the clouds. The sun is higher in this sky and the colour is more golden and less red and the effect lasts longer.

This sunset had virtually no clouds at all but the sun settled in exactly the right place allowing us to place the bride and groom in front of the last orange-red light of the day. The great thing about this venue is the totally open line of sight to the horizon where there sun actually sets. 

At this venue, there was no such open line of sight to where the sun would set but there was a small aperture between the distant hedges and the hanging leaves of the near tree. Obviously this means that we had to photograph earlier than sunset so the light was more golden and less red.

At this city venue there was no open access to the Western horizon. An hour or so before the sun sets, there is a lovely golden colour to the sunlight which can be great to use as a back light for some romantic photographs.

Using the same golden light as a main light can give some lovely photographs too. At this time of the evening the sunlight is such a romantic colour.

If you have something reflective in the direction of the setting sun (like the sea, a lake or even wet mud like in this photograph), then it can hugely enhance the effect of sunset in the picture. 

In this photograph the reflective surface is simply the hot smooth surface of a tarmac road. To the human eye the road looks like a distraction but through the lens it greatly enhances the effect of the setting sun.


As the sun lowers towards its horizon it side-lights the clouds and often makes for a very interesting evening skies even before it goes golden (if it's going to).


Sometimes, when it has been overcast all afternoon, as the sun lowers it can cause a break in the cloud layers that can result some stunning evening sky effects. If it is going to break like this, there are signs that it might do so half an hour or so beforehand. Enough time to get the lights rigged and to get some great photographs if your schedule allows.


Even if the sun does not break through, quite often the cloud will thin and the resulting back-lit clouds can make for some really worthwhile romantic portraits.


If your venue has no open sight-line to the Western sky then your only option may be to use the Eastern sky. The Eastern sky gets unusable sooner than the Western sky so it's important to get there early but the results can be subtle and delightful.


Even when all the above options are not available there are sometimes some great opportunities for an evening sky despite how unlikely they may look to the human eye.

This photograph was taken in the hour after sundown. It was raining, overcast and was getting dark very quickly.

Fortunately the stone work was floodlit by yellow lights. When auto-white balance on a camera tries to neutralise yellow, it adds blue thus making the grey sky an appealing blue colour.

Back-lighting the bride and groom gave the couple a nice rim light round them and threw some nice shadows on the pavement which look great when added to the reflections from our main light. The back-lit rain gave us a star field.

This whole photograph session only took two or three minutes and we were all back in the dry.

This photograph was taken several hours after sundown and there was no light in the sky at all. A back-light on the rain provided a star field behind the bride and groom and lit the white gazebo as well as throwing dramatic shadows across the lawn. The path lights gave some nice reflections in the wet stone.

Here's a summary of the some of the take-aways regarding sunset photographs:

1. If you'd like a sunset photograph on your wedding day, plan for it. If a sunset doesn't happen, there's often something interesting and beautiful that does.
2. Pick a venue that has an open view to the Western sky close by
3. If that open view has something reflective (water or wet mud or tarmac) in front it then the sunset colours will be spread vertically over the frame.
4. Look up the sunset time and check what your wedding schedule says you'll be doing one hour either side of sunset (don't forget to take account of daylight saving time in your calculations)
5. If your venue doesn't have an open view to the Western sky but does have one to the Eastern sky then you must plan to go out earlier than the sunset times might suggest.

There is a lot luck required in getting great sunset photography on your wedding day but you can maximise your chances by planning and being ready for it if it happens. Even if the sky does not light up with golden, orange or red clouds, an evening sky can be gorgeous in so many ways so it's well worth scheduling in 10-20 minutes for it in the evening if it's something you'd like.

Good luck

  by Jacqui and Steve

Hampshire Wedding Photographers

Story Behind the Picture: Slobbering Shetland

This wedding photo was taken by Jacqui in the Spring of 2013 on the cricket ground in front of the Balmer Lawn Hotel in the New Forest just after sunset.

In the picture you can see Steve taking a fine art wedding photograph of a bride and groom...but there is also a Shetland pony.

When he started photographing the couple, the Shetland was over by hedges you can see in the background. Once the Shetty noticed Steve was laying on the ground, he made his way over to investigate.

Steve was busy looking through a tiny viewfinder, balancing the lighting and directing the couple. He was totally unaware of what was approaching him.

The couple were full of smiles and laughter. He thought it was his directing but they could see the approach of the curious Shetty.

The first Steve knew of the Shetty's interest in him was when he felt a hot slobbering tongue in his ear. He rolled over on to his back only to see the long fury nose and huge black batting eyelids of a very innocent looking Shetland.

We have shown this picture and told this story to countless prospective couples over the years. It is instructive in many ways:

1. It shows the equipment and setup Steve uses for some of his fine art wedding photography

2. It shows how being a fine art wedding photographer can be dangerous work

3. It shows how, when faced with a choice of helping her husband or getting a great photograph - she'll always choose the photograph

4. It helps to explain why Steve hates horses and why Jacqui loves them

...and the finished fine art photograph that Steve was taking...

...is this one.

In Jacqui's photograph you can see the light that the bride and groom saw at the time. The sun had just gone down. It was a low contrast dull light with a slightly blue tint.

With Steve's lighting he was able to create something quite stunning...it is not unusual for couples to say "Wow" after they've seen the photographs he's been taking because it is so different to the light they can see.

So which image is better? Steve's fine art...or Jacqui's story telling (reportage/photo-journalism).

The answer is...they do different jobs. And this is why at a wedding they will photograph using the fine art style of wedding photography as well as the reportage style and everything in between.

Jacqui and Steve are Hampshire Wedding Photographers at Jacqui Marie Photography - where Photo-journalism meets fine art wedding photography.

The Wedding that Brought the Sun Back Out

The sun is welcome at any wedding but at Steve and Lucy's wedding it was particularly welcome.

Steve and Lucy were married on 6 April 2013 in the New Forest Wedding at the Balmer Lawn Hotel. 

The previous week we met them at the Balmer Lawn for a location visit. The weather was grey and starting to rain. This was no surprise to any of us. It was the end of a very long and grey Winter which came after the worst Summer we could remember and the onset of Spring was so late it was looking as though we might have a second dismal Summer.

One week later and the weather couldn't have been more different. It was warm and sunny with pretty white clouds. There were no leaves on the trees but other than that it could have been Summer.

We didn't know it then but their fabulous wedding was to herald the start of one of the best Summer's we've had for years.

Lucy had her Bridal Prep in the Bridal Suite of the Balmer Lawn Hotel.

The room had an awesome four poster bed.

It was the perfect place to get ready for her wedding. It had plenty of space, great atmosphere and lovely view across the lawn and cricket pitch.

It was so nice to be shooting in the sun again, we'd almost forgotten what it was like.

The week before on our location visit with Steve and Lucy we had walked down to the little stream across the road from the hotel. At the time we thought it unlikely that we'd bother to walk there on the day because it was muddy, the trees were brown, the sky was likely to be grey and the route was covered in donkey poo. We referred to it as "Donkey Poo Walk" and we wrote a blog post about it: Donkey Poo Walk and the Return of the Shetty

On the day though it was perfect. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the clouds were white and the water twinkled its blue reflection of the sky. It was just like Summer, apart of course for the lack of leaves in the trees...but also in the Summer, this particular stream in the New Forest would have been full of kids in bathing suites and inflatable boats. These sorts of portraits would have been very difficult in the Summer.

The sun coming out made the guests as well as the bride and groom even happier than they would have been.

It was a photographer's dream come true, the sun even lit up the venue.

Come the end of the day, the sun still wasn't done casting its magic.

It was as though the sun had been locked up for so long and that on the day it had at last been allowed out to play, it was going to make the most of every last second.

We had the most wonderful sunset shoot with Steve and Lucy.

The sun was magical, right to the very last moment. A wonderful blessing for a wonderful couple. 

Donkey-Poo Walk and the Return of the Shetty

When we did a pre-wedding location visit with Lucy and Steve at the Balmer Lawn Hotel we were scouting for possible portrait locations. One place came to mind but it would mean walking down a dirt path covered in donkey poo. Not a great prospect for a bride in her dress. From then on we referred to the place as Donkey Poo Walk.

The weather was fabulous on the day and we had enough time to do the Donkey Poo Walk set and Lucy was up for it. We carefully chose our route. Anybody would have thought we were stepping through a mine field.

To cut a long story short we got some great shots at the bottom of Donkey Poo Walk.

As day turned to evening it looked as though we might get a sunset. Steve and Lucy were up for it so out we went to the cricket pitch in front of the hotel. As with all sunsets, we had to move fast. There was a donkey right over the far side of the cricket pitch but he wouldn't cause us any problems.

We set the light stand then positioned Steve and Lucy. The right angle required a very low camera height. Would you credit it! That donkey, which actually turned out to be a Shetland pony, sneaked up on us whilst we were shooting (see top picture).

Here's the picture we shot, moments before photographer came nose to nose with Shetty. Quite a shock! ...but so worth it.

by Jacqui and Steve

Hampshire Wedding Photographers