My guess is that by now you have heard me talk about my never ending love affair with golden hour (if not, just ask Phil, I profess my love for golden hour every night we take Clifton for a walk).

Golden hour is the magical hour before sunset where the light is oh-so-dreamy! It is the soft, golden light that you see in most of my images and the ones you keep pinning to your Pinterest board.

When planning photo shoots and when to take your bride and groom photos on your wedding day, I try to schedule them as close to golden hour as possible not only because I love it … but because golden hour is A-MAZ-ING!

If my intense love of golden hour doesn’t sell you on it …. here are 6 reasons why you should take photos at golden hour.

1. THE LIGHT IS PERFECT : Because the light is low in the sky, soft and glowing, we can create those dreamy, romantic photos your heart is pining for. The light is magical … trust me.

2. THEY END UP BEING THE FAVORITE PHOTOS : The photos during golden hour always end up as my clients’ favorites. They are the images that end up as the two-page spreads in your wedding album and the photos you print as canvases for your home. Maybe it is the champagne buzz or just the perfect light, but I find my clients are more relaxed and ever-so-smitten with each other at golden hour.

3. DIFFERENT LOCATION OPTIONS : Sometimes the location you have your heart set on for your photos doesn’t work earlier in the day because of the harsh light ( ie : gross shadows and squinty eyes). Golden hour and the soft light generally lets us shoot in areas we might not have been able to earlier in the day.

4. IT IS THE LIGHT YOU HAVE PINNED ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARD : You know all those glowy, golden photos you keep adding to your wedding board? They are taken during golden hour.

5. YOU GET A FEW EXTRA MINUTES ALONE (sorta) : Your wedding day will be a blur, so setting aside 10 minutes to sneak away from the party to take a few more photos at golden hours guarantees you and your new husband a few more minutes to cuddle, kiss and hold hands. Are you sold yet?!

If you want to make sure you get photos at golden hour, talk to your photographer about adding it to your schedule. BBP brides, I have you covered. ;)

Looking for more wedding planning tips + advice? Be sure to check out if a first look makes sense for your wedding day and six reasons you will want to add a first look into your wedding timeline. Trying to build the perfect wedding day timeline, then this one is for you.

First time to the blog? Hi, I am Brittany, and I am a fine art film photographer specializing in lifestyle wedding and family photography. I travel worldwide photographing beautiful weddings, engagements, and families, and most of the time you can find me in Chicago, Naples (Southwest Florida), and Las Vegas. My light and airy editing style and candid, joyful photos are what I am best known for. Interested in working together? Contact the studio for more information.