How to Choose The Best Ceremony Time For Your Elopement

For photography, lighting is EVERYTHING! You were likely drawn to my work because of the light in my images, which is why it’s so important to make sure you build your wedding day timeline around the type of lighting you love. Depending on the time of day, the look and feel of your images can change dramatically in different lighting situations.

Let’s explore the different options for how to choose the best ceremony time for your elopement!

 Golden Hour

 I’m sure you’ve heard this term over and over and over again! It’s the golden ticket to those picture-perfect captures! The ideal time for ceremony is in the window of time known as Golden Hour, during the hour leading up to sunset or the hour leading back from sunrise. 

Sunrise vs. Sunset 

 Sunrise offers a really soft glow vs. a more golden and vibrant sunset. Sunrise and sunset both make for amazing images, but make sure you think about if you want something a little more diffused or saturated. Do you have images of mine that you love? Send them my way – I’m happy to assist in choosing the best ceremony time together! 

Flexibility

    The best part about an elopement timeline? All the flexibility! Since the day is all yours, we can wait for the right lighting and take our time enjoying the light as long as we can without being tied down to a strict, more traditional wedding day timeline.

Location, Location, Location!

Mt. Hood has excellent views on all 4 sides of the mountain, but the direction your elopement location faces is something you will want to consider. Eastern is best for morning light, western for sunset or north and south for more all day coverage.

 Seasonality

When choosing the best ceremony time for your elopement, you’ll want to keep in mind the season and how early (or late) you may need to be to catch the sun! Sunrise can be as early as 5am and as late as 8am, while the sunset can be as early as 4:30pm and as late as 9:30pm. 

Move Around

 If we’re planning on going to multiple locations for pictures, this will play a big role in your timeline. Make sure to consider where you’ll want to be for each specific part of the day. Dreaming of those mountain top sunset pictures but want your ceremony down in the woods? You’ll need to build in time to make sure you catch the right light for the images that matter most to you. 

Timing

If you’re planning on having wedding day activities before or after your ceremony, make sure you decide on what time of day they will be held. For instance, don’t leave your outdoor lawn games until after cocktail hour when it may be dark out!

What to Include

When you think about your day, think about everything you want to include in your timeline. Are you wanting to keep it simple with just a ceremony and lots of time for portraits? Or are you down for an adventure that starts with a breakfast, getting ready photos and a hike to multiple spots? Think about what time of day you want to be in each location, or start with the most important part for you to help decide where you should be, and when! 

Building your wedding day timeline doesn’t have to be hard, but lighting should be your starting point. If you love photos as much as I do, you know it all starts with the right timing and gorgeous lighting no matter the time of day! My best advice is to choose what images matter most to you – most commonly it’s your ceremony, but maybe it’s the first look. Whatever it may be, start from there, nail down your golden hour and build out the ideal elopement timeline to make sure you grab your perfect light! 

Need help picking the perfect location next? Check out my post on 10 Best Places To Elope on Mt Hood!