Light

One of my priorities as a photographer is paying attention to light. Whether bright, dim, colored, golden, or white, it sets the mood of an image as much and sometimes more than the subject itself. On that note I wrote a post especially for the heavily-trafficked Atlanta Bridal web site on how the time the ceremony takes place affects the light available when the bride and groom are photographed together. Here is the complete post:

What's the best time of day for the ceremony?

As with almost everything related to your wedding, there's not necessarily one right answer. However, strictly considering available light for photography of the bride and groom together- most often done after the ceremony and family/attendant formals- scheduling vows two hours prior to sunset generally places the bride and groom in the "golden hour" window just before dusk. At this time, standing in the rays of the sunset will cast a truly golden light over you, very romantic, and even if you're not in the line of fire so to speak, the light is very even and flattering elsewhere. If you don't have the liberty of basing your ceremony time around the natural light, view sample images by your photographer corresponding to the lighting when your photos will be taken, i.e. indoors or nighttime.

Melissa & Lou in the glowy light as dusk begins to set in:


Melissa in the truly golden light:


Kristen and John were married in the winter, when there are fewer hours of daylight available. Here they are indoors and out (Kristen braved the cold for few moments!):