Sunset weddings

Sunset weddings

Sometimes you will have a bride tell us “I want to get married at sunset, just as the sun touches the horizon.”

This is usually a bad idea. First of all as you know every wedding starts at least 15 minutes late, and secondly in the tropics the sun sets at a steeper angle than it does further north or south, meaning that the period of twilight is very short. If the wedding ceremony happens at sunset, all your subsequent photos will be taken in the dark, and the beautiful location will not be visible.

So “sunset weddings” need to start an hour before sunset, so that the best light happens after the ceremony just when you want to be taking pictures:

Not only will the light be nicer but the day will be cooling off so everyone will be more comfortable.

Exposure-wise the light levels change quickly at this time of day so keep an eye on your shutter speed; shooting manual usually makes sense as the camera’s meter is easily fooled by the direct sunlight, the couple’s light clothing, and often the reflected light off the sand. I always shoot RAW so have a bit of extra leeway in post, but if you are  a JPEG shooter you’ll need to be careful.

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Posted in News, Wedding blog.